


Death and Taxes

by movementinthedark



Series: Death and Taxes [1]
Category: Red Eye (2005)
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, F/M, Mild Sexual Content, Minor Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-19
Updated: 2017-03-18
Packaged: 2018-08-23 08:23:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 31,605
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8320762
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/movementinthedark/pseuds/movementinthedark
Summary: It's been six months since the flight, and Jackson Rippner is discovering that the past just doesn't want to stay where it belongs. It's been nine months since her kidnapping ordeal, and Kaylie Hewett is about to learn that nothing is as it seems. When his former client decides to enact revenge for the failed Keefe job, Jackson is determined to end it once and for all, even if it means sort-of protecting a teenager and seeking help from the woman who nearly killed him.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I began writing this story a decade ago, sometime in the year after seeing Red Eye for the first time. Something about the movie just got to me – I loved the characters of Jackson and Lisa, loved their chemistry and dynamic. I have watched the film many times over the years and periodically returned to this story; this summer, I finally decided to commit to finishing it, in part because I had realized that it wouldn’t leave me alone until I did so.
> 
> An early, unfinished draft of this is on fanfiction.net under my old pen name. While the story below features the same characters and the same basic plotline, it is wildly different from the one I began posting nine years ago. It was primarily a story about my OC, Kaylie, and her relationship with Jackson (and Lisa). While that is still the case, it has also very much become a story about Jackson.
> 
> So if you’ve made it through my lengthy note, I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I have enjoyed writing it. It is complete and is, in fact, the first fan fic I have ever finished. I will be posting approximately two chapters per week. I’m also working on a sequel, which I hope to have finished in time to post immediately after this one.
> 
> Thanks!!
> 
>  
> 
> Disclaimers:
> 
> I, perhaps obviously, own nothing related to Red Eye.
> 
> Rated M for language, canon-typical violence and brief scenes of a sexual nature.

“Nothing is certain but death and taxes.”

-Attributed to Benjamin Franklin

 

“Death and taxes? What an odd pairing.”

-Meet Joe Black

 

 

The ringing of his phone startled Jackson from sleep. He was fully awake instantly, reaching with practiced ease towards the bedside table while glancing at the clock. 2 AM. He retrieved his phone and answered the call. 

“It couldn’t wait until daylight?”

“No, I’m afraid not.” Alex’s distinctive lilt came down the line. “I’m sorry, I know it’s early there, but there is something you need to see.”

“Which is?” Jackson was on his feet now, padding noiselessly from his bedroom towards the open plan living room and his desk.

“Are you at your computer?” 

Jackson sank into his desk chair, flipping open his laptop and running a hand through sleep mussed hair. “Yep.”

“Check your email.”

The line went quiet from both ends as Jackson located the message and clicked open the attachment. “Shit.”

“Yes,” Alex sighed. “My thoughts exactly.”

Jackson peered at the image on his screen. He had never actually met Peter Hewett in person, but had no difficulty identifying the man tied to a chair in front of the camera. The barrel of a gun was pressed against the side of Peter’s head, held by someone whose face was off screen. The captive’s eyes were wide, worried, but he appeared largely calm. Then again, Jackson mused, you didn’t last long in this business without the ability to keep your head under pressure.

“Parker?” He queried of Alex, though it wasn’t really a question.

“Indeed.” Alex confirmed. “Evidently this is what happens when we don’t play by his rules - his words, mind.”

“His rules,” Jackson scoffed. “So is this the part where you ask me to give myself up to spare dear Peter?”

“Jackson.” Alex sounded slightly put out. “You know I wouldn’t ask that of you.” He sighed. “I doubt it’d do much good anyway.”

“Parker’s not looking to negotiate,” Jackson surmised. 

“Not that he’s indicated,” the other man confirmed. “I think he’s less interested in bartering as he is just out for blood.”

“He evidently doesn’t share your distaste for revenge,” Jackson quipped. “Does he have Kaylie?”

“I don’t think so,” Alex replied slowly. “He hasn’t mentioned her and I doubt he’d keep that to himself. She’d really only be of use to him if he wanted something from Peter. Having said that, Parker has proven himself to be irrational and unpredictable – so all bets are off.”

“I don’t understand why he’d even go after Peter at all,” Jackson retorted. “It would have been just as easy – likely easier – to pick up Lisa, and she’s the one that Parker actually wants. Well, and me.”

“I don’t think Parker would make the mistake of thinking you’d be an easy target.”

“Better that he doesn’t,” Jackson smirked. “His threatening Peter only makes sense as a way to get to you.”

“I think you’re right about that,” Alex replied. “And he can probably further justify it as cleaning up loose ends, given that Peter could identify him.”

“So what’s his next move?”

“He’ll go after Miss Reisert.”

Jackson heaved a sigh. “I knew you were going to say that.” He paused for a moment, turning an idea over in his mind. “What if we offered to bring Lisa to him?”

“Jackson-“

“Hear me out,” Jackson interrupted. “You tell Parker that I will personally deliver Lisa to him, in exchange for Peter. If he agrees, we use that meeting as an opportunity-

“To take him out.” Alex finished, picking up on Jackson’s line of thinking. “And end this ridiculous wild goose chase.”

“Precisely.”

“Do you really think he’ll take the bait?”

“I think he won’t pass up the opportunity to get both Lisa and I in a room.”

“And what happens when he realizes she’s not with you?”

Jackson smirked. “Oh, she’ll be with me.”

“Jackson…” Alex gave off a resigned sigh. “I know better than to try and tell you what to do, but just make sure you think this through. That Miss Reisert has been through a lot on your account already.”

“Going soft, are we?” Jackson huffed. “You forget, this entire situation is her fault.”

“I think our current predicament can be blamed on Parker,” Alex retorted. “Although, if you keep talking like that, we won’t have any difficulties making him believe that you really will give him Miss Reisert.”

“What makes you think I won’t?”

Alex actually laughed. “We both know the answer to that."

“Whether or not he believes it,” Jackson pressed on, choosing to ignore Alex’s comment. “He’ll still agree. And it’s not as though I trust him to hold up his end, either.”

The line went silent for a long moment. When Alex finally spoke, his voice was quiet, any trace of laughter gone. “Is there any way of playing this that ends well for Peter?”

Jackson clicked his laptop closed, considering the question. He knew that Alex was asking him to seriously entertain the possibility. He also knew that Alex neither expected nor wanted anything other than the brutally honest truth. “If we’re serious about taking Parker out, that needs to be our priority. Not a rescue mission." 

There was another long pause. “You’re right.” Alex said, his voice heavy. And then: “You’re going to need my help on this one.”

“It would certainly make things easier.”

“I’ll get in touch with Parker today,” Alex decided. “Assuming he agrees, I’ll arrange a time and place, then I’ll fly out and meet you. How long do you need?”

“Twenty-four hours to get to Miami,” Jackson replied, sliding his laptop into his bag and reaching into a drawer for a spare power cord. “Better give us a couple of days.”

“At least.” Alex snorted. “We need to make sure we do this right.”

“I’ll get Kaylie on the way. I’m willing to bet Parker has surveillance on the house, in case he decides he needs her.”

“I agree.” Then Alex chuckled. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you’re concerned about that young lady.”

“Let me know when you’ve spoken to Parker,” was Jackson’s only reply.

“I will. Look after Kaylie, will you? It’s the least we can do. And be careful.”

Jackson ended the call and checked the time. The drive from New York to D.C. wouldn’t take long at this time of night. If he left soon, he should hopefully be able to intercept Kaylie before she left for school. That would make things much less complicated.

  

\------------ 

 

_4 Hours Later_

 

“Dad?” Kaylie Hewett poked her head around her father’s bedroom door, frowning at the tidily made – and empty – bed. She had expected him to be sleeping in.  _He said he was getting in late last night_. A tiny voice at the back of her mind wondered if he’d even made it home at all, but she pushed that anxious thought away and headed down the stairs. As she neared the bottom, she heard the sound of a chair scraping the floor in the kitchen. He was just already downstairs; she hadn't meant for him to get up so early just to see her off to school. She rounded the corner and the good morning greeting died on her lips as she took in the scene before her. Her father was nowhere to be seen. Sitting at the kitchen table, drinking a cup of coffee, was Jackson Rippner.

  

\------------ 

 

_6 Months Earlier_  

 

There were two things Jackson was immediately aware of when he first began to surface from unconsciousness: an obnoxious, steady beeping, and pain. Not excruciating, acute pain, but an achy pain that seemed to radiate throughout his entire body. What had _happened_ to him? He forced his eyes open, squinting against the bright light. Memories flashed unbidden – the plane, Lisa, the pen – well that explained why his neck hurt -, the house, Lisa, had he been shot?, _Lisa_.

“Jackson?” A familiar voice hovered somewhere near his left ear. _Lisa?_ No, wrong voice, wrong gender, he was so confused, what kind of drugs did they have him on? He opened his mouth to try to speak, but nothing came out. “Jackson, are you in any pain? Nod for yes.” He managed the nod.

“…pain…time to heal…” 

“…up the dosage…”

Sweet relief flooded his veins and he sank back into oblivion.

 

When Jackson surfaced a second time, he felt immeasurably better. He still hurt, but it was more muted than before and – somewhat incongruously – his head also felt clearer. He opened his eyes and found Alex watching him carefully.

“How’re you feeling?” The older man inquired.

“Better,” Jackson croaked, automatically reaching a hand to his throat.

“Doc says you’ll be a bit raspy for awhile,” Alex offered. “But it’s healing fine and your voice will get back to normal.”

“Doc?” Jackson tried to glance around, but found moving rather painful. “Where am I?”

“Back in New York. Just outside the city. Quiet little hospital, and my own doctor at your service.”

“Your-“ Jackson was already getting irritated at his brain, which was working far slower than usual. “You flew…in from London…with your doctor…and got me out of Miami…?”

“Yep.”

“Why?”

“You think I’d risk losing you?”

“I thought… you’d want to distance yourself… after…”

“Well, it was a bit of a cock up, wasn’t it?” Alex mused. “But I’d be lying if I said I’ve never blown a contract. There is one thing I take issue with, however.”

Jackson raised an eyebrow.

“Why the _hell_ did you follow the Reisert girl back to her house?”

“I had to finish the job –“ Jackson started, wishing he that was not lying down and heavily medicated for this conversation.

“And how’d that work out for you?” Alex retorted. “Jackson. When things don’t go to plan, you step back, regroup and figure out your next move. You could’ve walked off the plane with relatively minor injuries and only Miss Reisert’s word against you. Instead, you go off half-cocked, get yourself shot and create a much bigger mess to clean up.” Jackson opened his mouth to speak, but Alex cut him off. “And showing up at her house wasn’t going to help the Keefe operation. That was entirely for you.”

Jackson sighed. “I may have let my anger at Lisa drive some decision making,” he admitted rather stiffly.

“I’ll say.” Alex chuckled. “Take my advice, Jackson. Revenge is rarely worth it.”

“How’d Parker take it?” Jackson asked.

Alex’s expression darkened. “Not well. In fact, he’s demanding that I hand over both you and Miss Reisert on a silver platter.”

“Should I be concerned?”

“Ha! No.” Alex snorted. “I wouldn’t have gone through all that trouble of getting you out of Miami and disappearing all of the evidence only to let Parker kill you.” He shook his head. “No. I wouldn’t even hand Miss Reisert over to that lunatic.”

“It’d be no less than she deserves,” Jackson sneered. “Actually no – if she’s going to die, I’d rather do it myself.” 

“You’re not in any position to be killing anybody,” Alex said, looking down at Jackson with an expression that, to the younger man’s extreme irritation, resembled amusement. Alex patted Jackson’s shoulder. “Rest up. I have a feeling you’re going to need it.”

 

\------------

 

_Present Day_

 

“What are you doing in my house?" 

“Well, hello to you, too.” Jackson smiled and spread his arms wide. “What, not happy to see me?”

Kaylie glared. “Where is my dad?”

“I’m not exactly sure.”

“What have you done to him?!” A small part of Kaylie’s brain was desperately trying to point out that she ought to be frightened, but – for the moment – she was mostly just angry.

“I haven’t done anything to him.”

Kaylie huffed. “Not a year ago you kidnapped me for leverage over my dad. And now, suddenly, you’re here and he’s gone and I’m supposed to believe that you had nothing to do with it?”

“I’ve never lied to you,” Jackson retorted, entirely calm in the face of her growing fury. “Besides, how do you even know that anything has happened to him?”

“He didn’t come home last night.”

“And?”

“He _always_ comes home.” Kaylie swallowed hard. “And he would’ve called if something came up.”

“Yes.” Jackson was giving her a measured stare that made her rather uncomfortable. “He would have.”

“You _do_ know what happened to him!” Kaylie almost took a step towards Jackson, then thought better of it. “Where is he?!”

“I told you, I don’t know.”

“Well then, if you’re not going to be of any use, kindly get the fuck out of my house.”

“Well, well,” Jackson stood, smirking. “You’re a bit more aggressive than the last time we met.” He took a step towards her and Kaylie instinctively stepped back. He chuckled. “Not entirely unafraid, though. Smart girl.”

Kaylie swallowed hard.

“I’m afraid I can’t just leave,” he continued, slowly circling the table. “Although I don’t have any intention of hurting you…well, provided you cooperate, at least. Sound familiar?"

“What do you want?” Kaylie whispered.

“You’re coming with me.”

“No,” she whispered, then cleared her throat and spoke a bit louder. “Not again.”

“But we had such fun last time,” Jackson quipped, before growing serious. “Kaylie, last time I promised you that you would be safe, if you cooperated and your father did as I asked. Did I keep that promise?”

She couldn’t deny that he had. “Yes.”

“Right. I did. And now, I’m promising again that I’m not going to hurt you. Honestly, I’d rather not even have to kidnap you – it’d be much easier if you came willingly.”

“And if I say no?”

“Then you’ll come unwillingly.” Jackson smirked.

“And we’re back to kidnapping.” Kaylie sighed. “What about my dad?”

“What about him?”

“If I come with you, you’ll let him go?”

Jackson shot her an exasperated look. “How many times do I have to say it, I do not have your father.”

Kaylie stared at him, trying to determine if he was telling the truth or not. “Then what reason do I have to come with you? What if my dad comes back and I’m not here?”

Jackson opened his mouth, likely to tell her that it didn’t matter if she had a reason as she didn’t have a choice either, but he closed it just as quickly and cocked his head to one side.

“What-“ Kaylie started. Jackson crossed the remaining distance between them in one stride, her shriek of alarm muffled by his hand clamping over her mouth. Then she heard it. The creak of a door. At the other end of the house, but audible nonetheless.

“If you want to live through the next five minutes,” Jackson spoke into her ear, his voice low and steady. “You will do exactly as I say, without hesitation. Nod if you understand.”

Kaylie nodded, heart thumping in her chest.

“Good girl. I’m going to take my hand away now. You will not make a noise. Clear?”

He waited for her second nod, and then removed his hand. Pressing a finger to his lips, he inclined his head to indicate that she should follow him. Kaylie did so, noting even through her panic that his hand was resting on what appeared to be a knife sheathed at his waist, previously hidden by his suit jacket. _Did he always carry a knife? Or was he expecting something to happen?_

Just outside the kitchen, Jackson paused at the doorway to a small bathroom and waved Kaylie inside. He followed her in, quietly closing the door behind them before giving the room a quick once over. He turned back to Kaylie.

“Stay in here, be quiet, lock the door behind me and do NOT open it for anyone other than me. Got it?”

Kaylie nodded. He opened the door and was gone, pulling it shut once again. She quickly turned the lock and then turned to survey the tiny room, drawing in an unsteady breath. She flinched at the sound of glass breaking, spinning back to face the door. _What the hell was going on? Who was in her house_? _What if they somehow got the upper hand on Jackson?_ Kaylie thought of the dark-haired, snarky, rather unfeeling man who had kidnapped her once already and was apparently intending to do so again. She thought of the mysterious, un-named intruder that Jackson clearly believed posed a threat to her. _Was Jackson protecting her?_ She heard a thud that could have been one, or possibly two, bodies colliding with a wall or floor. Or maybe furniture tipping over… Jackson or mystery assailant, Kaylie honestly wasn’t sure which one she should be more afraid of. But one thing was abundantly clear: either way, and assuming she got out of this bathroom in one piece, she was royally, totally, fucked.

Kaylie had been shivering in silence for several minutes, when a knock at the door made her jump clear off the ground.

“Kaylie, it’s me.” Jackson’s voice came from the other side. “You can unlock the door.”

Kaylie stared at the lock. It was definitely Jackson, but could she really trust that it was safe to open the door? That he wasn’t under duress of some kind? Come to think of it, could she really trust Jackson? 

“Kaylie. Everything’s fine, open the door.”

‘Everything’s fine’ seemed rather of a misrepresentation to Kaylie, but before she could evaluate further, she heard a scraping sound on the other side of the door and the knob moved slightly and audibly clicked. She jumped back in surprise as the door swung open, feeling profound relief – _relief?_ – that it was only Jackson in the doorway. He looked relatively unruffled, given whatever exactly had just taken place, and casually tucked a pocketknife into his jacket as she stared at him in disbelief.

“Exactly how safe was I in there, if you could open the door that easily?”

Jackson smirked. “As safe as you were anywhere else in the house.” He inclined his head towards the hallway. “Come on.”

Kaylie paused. “What happened?”

“Don’t worry about it.” After a second, he added: “And don’t go in the living room.”

Kaylie tried very hard not to think about what might have occurred in the living room. “Who was that?” She asked instead.

Jackson shook his head. “We don’t have time for this now. We have to go.”

“Jackson-“

He held up a hand. “We have to go. No, you do not have a choice. You DO have one minute to pack, as I’m feeling charitable. And exactly one minute, so get a move on.”

Jackson followed Kaylie upstairs, waiting just outside her bedroom door as she grabbed a handful of clothes and shoved them into a small bag. 

“Leave your phone,” he ordered. “And any other electronics, for that matter.”

Kaylie glanced up to find him standing in the doorway. “Why?”

“Because it’s traceable. And because I said so.” His own phone vibrated then, and he turned away to answer it, his voice too low for Kaylie to catch the words. Keeping one eye on his back, the teenager quickly swiped her phone off her desk and switched it to silent, before burying it in her bag. She held her breath for a moment, half-expecting that he’d somehow seen, before continuing her packing when he didn’t turn around. No way was she leaving behind the one way her dad might be able to reach her. Absolutely no way.

When Jackson finished his call, she was standing in her bedroom doorway, bag slung over her shoulder.

“Why are you doing this?” she asked him quietly, before he could speak.

Jackson arched an eyebrow. “What, you’d rather stay here with him?” He queried scathingly, nodding down the stairs towards the aftermath of his earlier altercation. “Let’s go.”

Kaylie heaved a sigh of trepidation, frustration and resignation, and then followed Jackson down the stairs.

 


	2. Chapter 2

Jackson’s car was a block away, parked just around the corner. Kaylie followed him to it, all the while wondering if she ought to run screaming in the opposite direction. There wasn’t really anywhere to go for help, though, in her quiet, residential, northeast Virginia neighborhood. Nowhere she could get before Jackson caught up to her, anyway, and he _would_ catch up to her. And he’d undoubtedly be pissed. Based on prior experience, Kaylie strongly suspected that her chances of getting through this unscathed depended greatly on Jackson’s mood. Any opportunity for escape disappeared as he opened the passenger door of a silver Audi and gestured her inside.

“Where’re we going?” Kaylie inquired, once Jackson was behind the wheel. She was fairly certain this was not the same car that he had been driving during their previous encounter, though she had been far too preoccupied at the time to notice any real details. The interior of this car was as pristine as the outside and Kaylie fleetingly wondered how much money you made in whatever sort of business he was in.

He nodded at the GPS he was currently programming, and she peered at it as he punched in the final letters.

“Miami?!”

He chuckled, pulling the car away from the curb.

“But that’s…that’s…” Kaylie spluttered, watching as the GPS produced the best route and the time required. “That’s a fifteen hour drive!”

“Yep.”

“You’re telling me that I’m stuck in this car, with you, for the next fifteen hours?!”

“Wow, tell me how you really feel,” he retorted sarcastically. 

“Sorry,” she mumbled automatically, her eyes widening as the word passed her lips. What was she doing?! Why was she apologizing to him, of all people, when this was ALL HIS FAULT. Kaylie was vaguely aware that she should probably just keep her head down and her mouth shut, but the part of her that was incensed at this whole situation wasn’t listening to reason. She cast a sideways look at Jackson, but he didn’t look particularly angry. If anything, he looked amused.

“Well, this isn’t exactly how I planned to spend my day either,” he replied.

“Um, someone’s going to notice when I don’t show up at school,” she pointed out after a moment.

“Already taken care of.”

“What?” She turned and gaped at him, and he smiled in response. Of course, he _would_ have thought of that. Kaylie considered the implications of this new development. It was Friday. Assuming he had somehow called her out of school without arousing suspicion AND assuming her father didn’t return home, it was possible that the entire weekend could pass before anyone reported her missing. She swallowed hard, watching as he followed the signs for the highway. Southbound. Towards Miami.

“Why are we going to Miami?” Kaylie asked.

“I have business there.”

“Do you live there?”

“No.” Jackson sounded mildly appalled. “Definitely not.”

“You sound like you don’t like it very much,” Kaylie mused.

“I don’t.”

Kaylie thought there was probably a story there, but it’s not like he’d tell her anyways. Besides, she had more pressing matters on her mind. “What does this have to do with my dad?”

“It’s better if you don’t know.”

“Better if I don’t know what?” Kaylie turned in her seat to face him. “Do you really think I’m going to accept that answer?”

“I’m sorry, did you think you had a choice?” Jackson smirked as she glared at him.

“I just want to know if he’s okay,” she whispered.

“He’s fine.”

“Is that the truth, or are you just telling me what I want to hear?”

“For the love of-yes, it’s the truth!” Jackson raised his eyes to the roof, as though praying for patience, before refocusing on the road. “Your father is fine. He is, however, in danger. As are you.”

“Danger from you,” Kaylie stated.

“No. Not from me.”

“Then who?” She remembered the mystery assailant at her house.

“As I said, it’s better if you don’t know.”

“Jackson-“

“No.” He interrupted. “It’s complicated and dangerous and you’re just a kid. You don’t need to know.”

“I’m seventeen!”

Jackson looked unimpressed.

“You can’t just keep me in the dark.”

“Actually, I can.” He was smirking again; Kaylie had the distinct impression that he was rather enjoying this. “So stop asking, because you really don’t want to piss me off.” 

Recognizing the truth of that statement, even as it made her blood boil, Kaylie turned away from him to glare out the window. She’d come up with a way to make him tell her what was going on. She had to.

 

 ------------

 

“This is the best cup of coffee I’ve ever had in my life,” Kaylie stated, before taking another enthusiastic swallow.

“The coffee’s actually shit.” Jackson nonetheless took a sip of his own. “You’re just desperate.”

She rolled her eyes. “Whatever.”

It was approximately four hours later, and they were sitting in the car at a rest stop gas station in North Carolina. Kaylie, who hadn’t had any breakfast, had demolished a sandwich with startling speed and was currently clinging to her coffee as though her life depended on it, which Jackson found vaguely amusing. She had desisted in her questioning after their earlier conversation, but he knew it was only a matter of time before it came up again. At some point, he really had to figure out what he was going to tell her.

“Thanks,” she said then, startling him from his thoughts. He glanced at her quizzically. “For the coffee,” she waved the cup at him, before taking another sip.

“You’re welcome.”

“Do you normally buy lunch for people you’re kidnapping?”

Jackson almost spit out his coffee. During the two days he had spent with her previously, she had been utterly terrified of him. Now that was only half the time, and the other half she was almost deliberately winding him up. She’d clearly gained some confidence in the intervening months, or maybe she genuinely believed he wasn’t out to hurt her. He seriously did not know what to make of this girl. “It’d be rather inconvenient to have to dispose of your body if you starved to death,” he quipped, watching with satisfaction as she visibly paled. _Two can play this game_. “Besides, this is hardly a kidnapping.”

“You’ve just crossed state lines with a minor you have no relation or right to,” Kaylie reminded him. “What would you call it?”

“Well, if you’re going to get technical.” He opened his door. “I’m going to put gas in the car. Stay put.”

As he got back into the car a few minutes later, he saw her dropping something into her bag out of the corner of his eye. He almost thought nothing of it, but then he got a look at her face. _Guilty_.

“What-“ Kaylie startled as, with lightening speed, Jackson reached across her, into her bag, and closed his hand around her phone. _Bingo_. He straightened up, noting her sharp intake of breath as he turned her phone over in his hand.

“Which part,” he began, his voice deceptively, dangerously calm. “Of ‘leave your phone’ was difficult for you to grasp?”

He met her eyes then and she swallowed hard. There was the fear; it was reassuring to know he still had that effect on her. “I…” she started, then gasped as he grabbed her chin in his hand.

“Who did you contact?”

“No-no one,” Kaylie squeezed her eyes shut, but Jackson was having none of that.

“Look at me,” he ordered, and waited until she complied. Her eyes were shining with unshed tears and Jackson almost felt like an ass for obviously scaring her. Almost. “Who. Did. You. Contact?”

“No one. No one, I swear! I just wanted to see if my dad had called or texted, and he hadn’t, my friend texted, but I didn’t reply, honest-“

Jackson released her chin. She was rambling, terrified and telling the truth. She cowered away from him, as much as was possible in the car, while he scrolled through her phone’s settings. It took him less than a minute to find the factory reset and then he powered the phone off and deposited it in the bag from their lunch. He got out of the car, chucked the bag in the nearest trashcan – it wasn’t ideal, but they’d be long gone before anyone found it – and got back behind the wheel.

Kaylie didn’t speak until they were back on the highway. “What’d you do to my phone?” Any sign of her earlier bravado was gone.

“Should’ve left it at home like I told you,” was his only reply.

“Jackson, I need my phone.”

“Don’t be such a teenager,” he quipped, both irritated and faintly amused.

“It’s not that,” she insisted. “What if someone tries to contact me? What if my DAD tries to contact me?”

“Your dad won’t be contacting you,” he stated matter-of-factly. “And it’s best if you don’t speak to anyone else.”

“Why won’t my dad be contacting me?” Her voice was shaking, though he was sure she was trying like hell to disguise it.

He didn’t reply.

“What aren’t you telling me?” She hissed, before abruptly regaining some of her courage and changing tack to a threat. “If you don’t tell me what’s going on, _right_ _now_ , I’ll jump out of the car.”

“We’re on the highway.” Jackson’s eyes never left the road.

She reached out with her right hand to unlock her door and then grasped the handle.

“Kaylie!” Jackson’s voice was sharp. “Don’t be an idiot, you’ll get killed.”

The seventeen year old glared at him for a long moment and then, releasing the door handle, swung her arm around to punch him in the shoulder. She wasn’t remotely strong enough to do damage, but it still caught him off guard and the car swerved as he lost his grip on the wheel. He recovered quickly, reaching out with one hand to seize her by the wrist. Jackson thought he had been doing a fairly good job of not terrorizing her, but – quite honestly – his patience was wearing thin.

“Let me go!” She whined and tried to pull away, but he wasn’t that easily deterred.

“What the hell is the matter with you?” he hissed, shaking her a bit. “First of all, don’t hit me.” He shot her a scathing look. “That’s never going to end well for you. Second, hitting anyone while they’re driving a car is just plain stupid. Do it again, and you’ll be spending the rest of this trip tied up in the backseat. Are we clear?”

Kaylie tried to glare, but almost immediately wilted under his furious expression. “Yes.”

“And while we’re at it, the next time I tell you do something, you do it. Got it?”

Kaylie flushed, looking very much like a kid who was getting told off for breaking the rules.

“Got it?” Jackson repeated, his tone harsh. 

“Yes, I got it,” Kaylie ground out, and he finally let go of her wrist.

“Quit sulking,” he said, after a long moment.

“I’m not.”

“You are,” he retorted. “Throwing a tantrum, sulking – stop acting like a child.”

Kaylie flushed again. “When I ask you to tell me what’s going on,” she spat, apparently taking refuge in hostility. “You tell me I’m just a kid and don’t need to know. And now you’re telling me off for acting like one?” She glared at him. “Make up your goddamn mind.”

Jackson actually had to bite back a chuckle at that. This kid was something else. He watched her out of the corner of her eye as she curled into herself, staring out the window. He sometimes forgot how young she really was. He didn’t have a lot of experience with kids and certainly never intended to have any of his own - _this drive was enough teenage angst for his lifetime, thank you very much_ – and his own childhood had been very different from hers. He was on his own by the time he was her age. And yet, despite her tendency towards teenage theatrics, Kaylie was smart and reasonably mature and not entirely terrible company.

A voice in the back of Jackson’s mind pointed out that he was going to have to tell her _something_ about what was going on with her dad. He was going to have enough of a fight on his hands with Lisa – he didn’t even want to think about how that was going to go – and really needed Kaylie’s cooperation. Her trust. He watched the countryside fly by as he pondered how best to achieve that. He was nothing if not excellent at manipulating people; after all, it was his job.

 

 ------------

 

_6 Months Earlier_

 

_“We’re live in Miami, bringing you the latest updates on the attempted assassination of Charles Keefe, Deputy Secretary-“_

“Dad, what’re you watching?”

At the sound of his daughter’s voice behind him, Peter Hewett quickly fumbled for the remote to turn off the TV. He wasn’t fast enough.

“Attempted assassination?” Kaylie’s brow furrowed, as she stared at the images and scrolling text flashing across the screen.

“Yes.” Peter stood, turning to face her. “On the Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security. 

“Jeez.” Kaylie peered around him to continue watching. “His- his family, too?”

Peter nodded, reaching forward to squeeze her shoulder reassuringly. “Don’t worry, everyone’s safe.”

“Good.” Her eyes met his, filled with relief that quickly faded to concern. “Dad, are you okay?”

“Fine, fine,” Peter shook his head, as though shaking off a memory. “You’d better hurry if you want to make it to school on time.” 

“Right, yeah.” Kaylie stood on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek. “I’ll see you tonight.”

“Have a good day, sweetheart. I love you.” He watched as she departed from the room, casting one last glance at him over her shoulder before she vanished from sight. He heard a brief scuffle in the hall as she collected her things, then the sound of the front door opening and clicking shut.

Peter sank back on to the couch, turning his attention once again to the TV screen.

_“The investigation into this horrific event is now underway, and the Lux Atlantic Hotel is fully cooperating with authorities…”_

Rippner’s name wasn’t mentioned once in the news report, and Peter didn’t have to wonder why. Alex had his methods - his extensive methods – and he always protected his own. Peter had been grateful for that himself, in the past, but now he wasn’t quite so sure. He wouldn’t exactly mind seeing Rippner go down for this; although, on the other hand, he was equally relieved that Kaylie wasn’t likely to encounter the other man’s name or photograph on TV or in the paper. Peter didn’t relish having to explain any of this to his daughter. She’d been through enough. The less she knew, the better.

 

\------------

 

_Present Day_

 

“Do you know what I do for a living?”

Jackson’s voice broke the silence that had settled over the car. Kaylie glanced over at him. 

“Um…not exactly.”

“Government overthrows, flashy high-profile assassinations…” He trailed off for a moment, and Kaylie noted the far away look in his eyes. She stared at him, trying to gauge whether or not he was even serious. He probably was. After a moment, he seemed to snap back to the present conversation. “When I used you as leverage over your father, it was related to an assassination that I was…involved in.”

Kaylie’s brain was connecting a series of dots. Her kidnapping, assassinations, Miami. Her father in front of the TV. “Miami. That assassination attempt back in the spring. The politician?”

Jackson smiled. “Very good. A-plus.”

“I saw it on TV. My dad, he seemed…really bothered by it.” She wasn’t sure what to make of Jackson’s quiet huff. “So that…that was you?”

“If by that you mean, did I personally shoot a missile into the hotel, then no. But yes, I was involved. And if you saw it on TV, you know how it turned out.”

“It didn’t succeed?”

“Right. And the people who hired me – and others – for the job, well, let’s just say they weren’t too pleased. They are the ones who currently pose a threat to your father and to you.”

“The man at my house this morning?”

“Yes.”

“But wait, why would they target my dad? And why did you need leverage over him?" Kaylie was thoroughly confused. “What does he have to do with any of this?”

“He possessed information critical to the success of the job. He provided it, in exchange for your safety.” Jackson glanced at her. “As to why he’s being targeted now, that’s a bit more complicated.”

“Try me.”

Jackson sighed. There was a long pause and Kaylie was absolutely certain that he was about to feed her another ‘you don’t need to know’ line. “Our former _clients_ ,” Jackson said the word as though it left a bad taste in his mouth. “Have decided to go after anyone who was connected with this, your father included.”

“So if you hadn’t gotten him involved-“ She hadn’t necessarily meant for it to come out quite so accusing.

“He was already involved. I just forced his hand.”

“How was he already involved?”

“I’m not answering that.”

“Jackson-“

“Kaylie, it’s safer for you not to know. I need you to trust me on that.”

Kaylie wasn’t sure that she did trust Jackson, not at all. On the other hand, at least he was finally telling her some of what was going on. And nothing that he’d told her suggested that he meant her any harm. She tried a different angle. “So why aren’t your former ‘clients’ after you, then?”

Jackson smiled, but there was something distinctly predatory about it. “Who says they aren’t?”

Kaylie couldn’t physically stop herself from glancing over her shoulder.

“Relax, kid.” He chuckled. “Nobody’s tailing us.”

“How do you know?”

He raised an eyebrow. “I just know.”

“Jackson…” Kaylie paused, feeling his eyes on her, suddenly not at all sure that she wanted an answer to the question she was about to ask. “Where is my dad?”

She didn’t expect him to be so blunt. “He’s currently being held by said former clients.”

“What?!” Kaylie practically screeched. “Where is he?!” Her heart felt like it was going to break out of her chest and Jackson looked barely bothered.

“I’m not sure,” he replied. “But my associate is working on finding that out as we speak.”

“But-what-is he-how-what-“

“Kaylie.” Jackson’s hand landed on her shoulder and she flinched. “Breathe.” She really tried, struggling to take in a deep breath. “As of right now, your father is fine.”

“Are you-“ she began, once she could speak again. Jackson’s hand had disappeared from her shoulder. “Are you helping me? Us?”

He shrugged. “Let’s just say our goals happen to be aligned. I have my own reasons for doing this.”

Kaylie wasn’t exactly sure what to make of that. She wasn’t reassured about her father’s well being either, but Jackson was clearly privy to more information than she. Sticking with him – not that she had much choice, there – really did seem the best option. And having another panic attack wasn’t going to help her dad, even if all she really wanted to do right now was cry. “What is it that we’re doing, exactly?” 

“We’re going to Miami to get someone, someone who will be able to help.” An expression Kaylie couldn’t quite place flitted across Jackson’s face, but was gone before she could blink. “And then we’ll meet up with my associate, who will definitely have more information by then.”

“Oh. Jackson?” He glanced at her. “Does my dad know I’m with you?”

“I doubt it.” He huffed a laugh. “It’s probably better that way. I’m definitely not his favorite person.”

 

\------------ 

 

Kaylie approached the car, returning from the bathroom at yet another rest stop. She had shed a few tears in the privacy of the stall, worrying both about her dad and her own uncertain predicament; if Jackson could tell from where he leaned against the side of the car, he didn’t comment.

“Do you know how to drive?” He asked without preamble.

“Sorry?” Kaylie blinked. “I mean, uh, yeah. I know how to drive.”

“Do you have your license with you?”

“Yes. It’s in my wallet.”

“Good. Catch.”

Kaylie barely managed to grab the car keys out of the air. She looked at them in mild disbelief.

“Are you coming?” Came the slightly scathing tone of her companion, now in the passenger seat.

Kaylie shrugged and hopped behind the wheel. “You’re letting me drive?”

“Should I not?”

“I didn’t mean it like that.” She shot him an exasperated look. “I was just surprised.” They’d driven straight through South Carolina, only now making an early evening pit stop just a bit south of Savannah. He’d been driving for close to nine hours, she realized, not including whatever distance he’d driven before arriving at her house. No wonder he needed a break, even if he wasn’t likely to actually admit it. Kaylie reached for the ignition, but stopped when Jackson put his hand on her arm. She glanced over to meet his eyes. “What?” 

“Stay on the highway.” He ordered. “Follow the GPS. Drive safely and don’t even think about doing anything to try and attract attention. I’m a light sleeper and I have excellent reflexes. Got it?”

She nodded. “Got it.”

He removed his hand and she started the car.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lisa will be joining in on the fun in the next chapter...


	3. Chapter 3

“Where do you live?”

“I’m sorry?” Jackson was awake again; the power nap had done him wonders. Even better was that Kaylie had apparently followed his directions exactly and they were currently approaching the Florida border at a perfectly acceptable speed.

“You said earlier that you don’t live in Miami. So where do you live?”

Jackson glanced at the girl beside him, her features only just visible in the twilight-bathed car. “New York. I travel a lot, though.”

“Are you from there? Originally?”

Jackson snorted. “What is this, twenty questions?”

“I’m just making conversation,” Kaylie retorted hotly. Then in a softer tone: “And trying to distract myself.”

Jackson remained quiet for a long moment. “I was born in Indiana,” he said finally. “But my father was in the military, so we moved around a lot.”

“Oh.” It was Kaylie’s turn to be quiet. “I can’t imagine what that’d be like. I’ve lived in one house in one town my entire life.”

“It had its pluses and minuses.” 

“How old are you, anyway?”

Jackson rolled his eyes, though it was unlikely she could see it in the fading light. “I’m thirty. Anything else?”

“Yeah.” Another pause. “Who are we meeting in Miami?”

“Her name is Lisa.” Jackson watched Kaylie closely for any hint of recognition. As far as he knew, Lisa’s name had been largely kept out of the press, but he’d been rather _indisposed_ in the immediate aftermath.

No reaction. “Who is she?”

He momentarily debated what to tell her, before abruptly deciding on the truth. “She is the person who thwarted the assassination of Charles Keefe.”

“She did?” Kaylie’s eyes darted to him, then back to the road. “And she’s going to be willing to help us?”

The use of the plural wasn’t lost on Jackson. “I don’t know about willing… but they’re after her, too, so she doesn’t have much choice.”

“Does she know you? And that you were, um, involved in the assassination?”

Jackson grinned in the dark. “Most definitely.” 

“Is she expecting us?”

He snorted. “No. She thinks I’m dead.”

“Why?”

“The last time I saw her, she shot me.” The car swerved as Kaylie processed that piece of information. Jackson grabbed the wheel. “Easy.”

“Sorry.” Kaylie regained control of the car before resuming the conversation. “She shot you?!”

“Not without reason.”

“So what, you’re just planning to show up and be like: ‘Surprise! Not dead. Oh by the way, we need your help’?

He chuckled. “Something like that.”

Kaylie exhaled heavily. “You’re really not very good with people, are you?”

_Oh sweetheart. You have no idea._

 

\------------

 

_8 Months Earlier_  

 

Jackson sat in a dimly lit corner of the bar, nursing a glass of whiskey. His phone sat on the table next to his drink, but his attention was fully fixed on the brunette seated at the bar across the room. Her back was to him and, straining to hear, he had just been able to make out the words she exchanged with the bartender. Fortunately, they weren’t many. She’d responded in the affirmative to the “long day?”, but as soon as her Seabreeze was in front of her and the money had changed hands, she’d lapsed into silence.

Jackson had been following Lisa Reisert for closing in on four weeks now, and this was precisely the second time that she had ventured out for a drink. From what he had observed so far, her life consisted primarily of work – sleep – work – sleep, with the occasional movie marathon or middle of the night snack. She worked hard, kept to herself and didn’t go out much. On the one prior occasion he’d been lucky enough to tail her to a bar – because, really, watching her in her apartment every night was getting dull and he couldn’t exactly be seen in the Lux Atlantic’s bar every day, now could he? – she had come to this very same place, sat in almost exactly the same spot and ordered a Seabreeze. Well, Jackson had to hand it to her, she was nothing if not consistent.

Not for the first time, he found himself wondering what a young, pretty woman like Lisa was doing spending so much time on her own. She _was_ pretty, gorgeous even, which he could admit to himself even as he kept this strictly professional. Were he not working, he might have approached her. He was usually quite popular with women; well, at least when he turned the charm on. At the moment, however, his work required him to blend in and be unseen, so that was exactly what he was doing. His work also required him to learn everything he could possibly learn about Lisa, and on the whole he’d been pretty successful so far, but there was this one piece he couldn’t quite fit together. Why _was_ she on her own? She didn’t so much as glance at anyone else in the bar, didn’t show the slightest interest in engaging, be it with a friend or otherwise. Jackson didn’t get it, and he was not generally accustomed to not getting people. He was missing something, and he was running out of time to figure out what it was.

Lisa downed the remnants of her Seabreeze and climbed off the bar stool, retrieving her clutch from the bar beside her. Jackson quickly finished his own drink, setting the now empty glass back on the table as he watched her walk to the door and disappear outside. Time to go.

 

 ------------

 

_Present Day_  

 

The apartment building was exactly as he remembered it. He had known she wouldn’t move; eight weeks of following her every step, not to mention their brief-but-intense period in one another’s company, had left Jackson with a pretty solid grasp on the personality of one Lisa Reisert. Admittedly, she had surprised him, and it was with this in mind that Jackson waited silently in her living room. He had left Kaylie in the car around back; she’d stay put. They had rolled into Miami in the wee hours of the morning and Jackson had found a quiet, out-of-the-way, motel, where they both caught a few hours of much needed sleep. He had heard from Alex before leaving Kaylie’s house; Parker had agreed to the “exchange”, which took a bit of the immediate pressure off. It was unlikely that idiot would attempt to kidnap Lisa when he could have Jackson deliver her instead. Which brought him back to his present position, sitting in Lisa’s apartment in the late morning sunlight. The woman in question had left thirty minutes previously, carrying reusable grocery bags. Jackson hadn’t lost his touch at watching her unseen, nor at breaking and entering, a skill he’d had to employ twice now in as many days.

Jackson instinctively catalogued the apartment as he waited, fully expecting that its owner would be back soon. Like the building, it was much the same. Photos of dad, _check_. A mostly full bottle of vodka. _She never did get that Seabreeze_. The kitchen was reasonably well stocked; she was apparently doing more cooking these days.

Jackson shook off the memories and glanced down at his phone, still open to an earlier text conversation with Alex.

_Confirmed. Tuesday. Near Savannah. B is sorting us a place to stay._

Jackson resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He still wasn’t sure why Alex had brought yet another associate into this, although the older man insisted they could use the help. Jackson _really_ preferred working alone. On the other hand, Alex had bought them three days to figure out whatever it was they were exactly doing, which was more than Jackson had anticipated. So there was that.

He tensed automatically at the sound of a key in the lock. _Show time_. He listened to the door swing open and shut again, the thud of full bags hitting the counter and Lisa’s sigh of relief. And then her footsteps.

Lisa came around the corner into the living room and gave a surprised shriek to find him standing there. She was as beautiful as he remembered, NOT that he’d been thinking about it. 

“Hey, Leese.”

She came to her senses rapidly, turning to run, but he was on her instantly, banging her hand into the wall so that she lost her grip on her keys. The resulting tussle was brief. Lisa was a hell of fighter, but Jackson had remembered that, and also had the distinct advantage of having expected the confrontation. He easily trapped her between his body and the wall, pinning her wrists over her head with one hand as she struggled to break free. She opened her mouth to yell, presumably “help” - _how predictable_ \- but Jackson clamped a hand over her mouth before she got the word out.

“Calm down, Lisa,” he murmured. “I’m not actually trying to hurt you, but you’re making it challenging.”

Lisa mumbled something that sounded a lot like “fuck you”.

“I’ll let you speak if you promise not to try to attract attention,” he bargained. “But if you can’t control yourself, I’ll just knock you out.”

Her eyes widened at that, and Jackson cautiously removed his hand, giving her the benefit of the doubt. For the moment.

“You’re not hiding any pens in here, are you?” He queried, patting over her waist and pockets lightly with his now free hand.

“Get off me,” she growled, trying unsuccessfully to get free of his grip. She was doing an excellent job of hiding her fear, but Jackson could see it in her eyes.

“Hmm…nope.” He smirked at her. This was business, of course, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t enjoy it a little.

“Why are you here?” she whispered.

“I seem to recall saying that I was going to steal you.” He raised an eyebrow. “Just keeping my promise.”

“You’re supposed to be dead.” Her voice wavered just a bit.

“Ouch, Leese, I’m hurt.” He leaned closer until he was speaking into her ear. “And very much alive.”

“So you’re here to – to –“

Lisa seemed to be struggling with the words. Jackson took pity on her. “Steal you? Yes. As it happens, I have a…situation that I need your help with.”

“No.”

“I beg your pardon?” He let a slightly dangerous edge into his voice and watched her shiver in response.

“I said no.” She swallowed hard and met his eyes. “I’m not doing this again. So if you’re going to kill me, kill me.”

Jackson chuckled. “Such a martyr, Leese.” He regarded her appraisingly. “You’re more use to me alive.”

“I’m not helping you.”

“We’ll see.” He smirked. “But you ARE coming with me. Right now, as we’re on a schedule and I can’t leave Kaylie out there in the car forever.”

That clearly threw her for a loop. “Kaylie?”

“Teenager I kidnapped yesterday.”

“What?!”

“Not important.” Jackson shrugged. “So are you going to cooperate?”

Lisa glared at him for a long moment and then renewed her struggle, throwing her entire body weight against his in an effort to dislodge him.

“Dammit Lisa,” he growled, pressing her back into the wall. “Not your best move.”

“I’m not going anywhere with you,” she spat back. “Get off-“

Lisa didn’t get to finish her sentence, as Jackson smacked his forehead harshly into her own. She slumped in his grip. He really had to stop doing that, he mused; it gave him a fucking headache.

 

 ------------

 

They’d been driving for maybe half an hour when a moan from the backseat indicated the awakening of their newest passenger. Kaylie had been horrified when Jackson had emerged from the apartment building carrying the unconscious woman, even more so when he’d bound Lisa’s wrists and ankles with some kind of zip tie. Her concern for the other woman aside, the imagery was bringing up memories she’d prefer to forget. Jackson had assured her that Lisa was fine and that no one had seen their rather unconventional exit from the building. Kaylie wasn’t sure how he could possibly be so certain of that last part, but – then again – he’d pulled something like this off before. Besides, it’d be his problem to deal with in the event that the police caught up to them. In the meantime, she glanced over her shoulder worriedly as Lisa rubbed her head and blinked, clearly trying to make sense of her surroundings.

“What…where…Jackson?!” Lisa bolted upright, then slumped back against the seat, holding her head in her bound hands.

“Nice of you to join us, Leese.”

Kaylie shot Jackson as dark a look as she dared, then turned once again to the woman in the backseat.

“Are you okay?” she inquired quietly. Lisa’s eyes snapped to hers. “I’m Kaylie,” she offered, in lieu of any real explanation.

“You weren’t kidding,” Lisa mumbled.

“Sorry?” Kaylie was confused.

“He said he kidnapped a teenager…” Lisa closed her eyes tightly, then opened them again.

“Well, kidnapped is a strong word.” Jackson interjected.

“Are you okay?” Lisa turned the question around on the younger girl. “He hasn’t hurt you, has he?”

“ _He_ is right here,” Jackson muttered, sounding irritated.

“I’m fine.” Kaylie gave Lisa what she hoped was a reassuring smile. “It’s…” What it was exactly, Kaylie wasn’t sure. Complicated? She didn’t even know where to start. “I’m fine,” she repeated.

“Where are we going?” Lisa asked then, sounding – to Kaylie’s ears – surprisingly calm for someone who had just woken up in a car with her kidnapper. She knew what that felt like, and she definitely hadn’t kept it together so well.

It was Jackson who answered. “Georgia.”

“Georgia?!” Lisa exclaimed, sounding distinctly like Kaylie had when Jackson had given her the same answer a half an hour before. _We’re driving all the way BACK to GEORGIA?!_ He’d just told her to be quiet.

“Yep.”

“What’s in Georgia?” Lisa asked warily, as though she really wasn’t sure she wanted the answer.

“As I said,” Jackson smirked at her in the rearview. “Something I need your help with.”


	4. Chapter 4

Lisa’s response to Jackson’s second remark about needing her help had been entirely predictable. She had vehemently refused, while pulling at her bonds and threatening him all manner of unpleasant ends if he didn’t let her and Kaylie – that was Lisa, always looking out for other people – go _at once_. Kaylie, for her part, looked an odd mix of impressed and concerned. Jackson was merely annoyed and eventually coldly informed Lisa that if she wanted to remain conscious for the remainder of the drive, she would _shut the hell up_. Surprisingly, she did.

It was an hour later when she spoke again, her much softer, if not exactly calm, voice drifting to him from the backseat.

“So what’s the deal with Kaylie?” The subject of the question was currently asleep in the passenger seat. The kid hadn’t had enough rest the night before.

“It’s a long story,” was Jackson’s reply.

Lisa snorted. “Well, we’ve apparently got time.”

“Her father is in danger from one of my clients.” Jackson went with the cliff notes version, glancing to be sure that Kaylie was still asleep. He’d tread carefully, just in case. “So she’s with me until that is resolved.”

“Willingly?”

Jackson smirked. “More or less.”

“How is her father involved?”

Jackson didn’t answer.

After a moment of silence, Lisa retorted: “What is it with you people and threatening other people’s parents?”

“It’s all about finding weaknesses.” He glanced at her in the rearview. “This is a different situation, though. They don’t want anything from Kaylie.”

Lisa stared at him for a long moment. “Is my father in danger this time?”

“No." 

“I don’t believe you.”

Jackson laughed quietly. “As much as it might make my life easier to say otherwise, I’m telling you the truth.”

“Then why would I help you?” Lisa challenged.

“Because, Leese, you’re the one in danger this time.” He found her eyes in the mirror again and watched as she tried not to flinch.

“Don’t you dare threaten me,” she growled, her voice trembling ever so slightly.

“I’m not.”

“Bullshit.”

Jackson smiled, flashing his teeth. “While I very easily COULD threaten you, Lisa, that’s not what I meant. The person who hired me for the Keefe job is attempting to tie up loose ends, you included.”

It was a minute before she spoke. “Your employer.”

“No, my client.” Jackson clarified. “He is, as it turns out, quite fond of petty revenge.”

“What, like showing up at someone’s house to try and kill them for messing up your plans?”

Jackson shot Lisa a dark look in the mirror and she immediately paled. He pushed the anger down. “Watch it.” Minutes ticked by, as Jackson drove in silence. “He’s after me, too,” he said finally. 

Lisa looked momentarily startled. “He blames you for what happened.”

“Yes.”

“And you blame me.”

“Yes. Mostly,” Jackson amended.

“What happened after they took you in the ambulance?” Lisa asked, a bit hesitantly. “The police told me you died.”

“Yes, I know.” He could see her raised eyebrow in the mirror. “That’s what you were meant to think. Meanwhile, I was free from the clutches of Miami authorities before I’d barely had a chance to heal.”

“How?”

He smirked. “Wouldn’t you like to know.”

“Are you going to kill me?” Lisa’s eyes betrayed her fear, but Jackson gave her credit for asking the obvious question so calmly.

“No.”

“You tried to kill me before,” she accused.

“I did,” he concurred. “But right know I’m far more interested in killing my former client.”

Lisa blinked. “Is that where we’re going? But why would you need my help with that-“ Her eyes widened. “You’re planning to use me as bait.”

Well, damn, but she was quick. Not that anything she did should surprise him, at this point. “To be fair, I’m also planning to use myself as bait.”

“No, no, Jackson,” Lisa was shaking her head. “I am not going to be waved around and put at risk, so that you can get your chance to go after this guy. Handle it yourself.”

“Now why would I do that, when it’s much more fun to share it with you?” he quipped, before turning serious once again. “Lisa, he was coming after you. If I hadn’t interceded, he’d likely have you by now, and you wouldn’t last long. You're already in this, whether you like it or-“

Kaylie chose that moment to wake up, stretching and rubbing at her eyes. “Where are we?” she muttered, completely oblivious to the tension between her traveling companions.

“Still in Florida.” Jackson retorted.

The seventeen year old slumped in her seat. “Figures.”

Lisa’s eyes met Jackson’s in the mirror, and she glared.

 

\------------

 

Whatever Kaylie had been expecting to find at their destination, it wasn’t a cluster of three-story multi-unit buildings, set back from the street in what appeared to be a busy suburb of Savannah. It wasn’t the pleasantly decorated apartment that Jackson led she and Lisa to, the latter now permitted to walk, if only with Jackson gripping her arm. It certainly wasn’t the two men standing before her now. One was about her father’s age, with greying hair, a pleasant smile and dressed - much like Jackson - in a suit. The other, blond and wearing jeans and a button down, was likely only a few years older than Kaylie herself. When Jackson had mentioned associates, this wasn’t what she had pictured.

“Miss Hewett, Miss Reisert,” the older man greeted them, stepping forward to shake their hands in turn. “Welcome.” He nodded to Jackson over Kaylie’s head. “I’m Alex Donnelly, and this is Ben Taylor.” He indicated the younger man, who shook their hands as well, giving the women a genuine smile.

“It’s, um, nice to meet you,” Kaylie replied, a bit thrown by their friendly manner and not entirely sure how she ought to behave in this situation. Lisa, seemingly as bewildered as Kaylie felt, responded in a similar fashion.

“The pleasure is mine,” Alex assured them, in a way that made Kaylie feel that he meant it, and not – or not only – because he intended them for some nefarious purpose. “I’m sure the past hours have been quite stressful for you both, but I assure you that you are safe here.” Kaylie tried to surreptitiously glance at Jackson out of the corner of her eye, only to find he was nowhere in sight. “Where are my manners? Please come in and sit down. You’ll have to forgive me,” he added, as they followed him down a hallway and into a living room. “I’m recovering from jet lag.”

“You’re Irish,” Kaylie guessed.

Alex smiled at her as he took a seat. “And you have quite an ear for accents. I’ve lived in London long enough for it to be somewhat muted.”

“I’ve always liked accents,” she told him, feeling slightly odd making such casual conversation. “And languages.”

“So,” Alex said, once they were settled. Ben had also disappeared, leaving just the three of them in the living room. “I’m sure you must have questions, and I promise that I will answer them – all of them. But it has been a very long day and we’re all exhausted, so Ben is arranging us some dinner, and I think it would be best if we had something to eat and got some rest before we get too far into it.”

Lisa looked like she was about to object, but Alex kept talking.

“Kaylie, I do want to reassure you that your father is currently unharmed.” Kaylie sat up straighter, eyes widening, at the mention of her dad. She had so desperately wanted to ask, but wasn’t sure if she should trust this unfamiliar man. As if reading her mind, Alex continued. “I know that you don’t know me well enough to trust just yet, but I am doing my best to ensure his continued safety. I also want to apologize to the both of you for everything that we have put you through, and in particular what Jackson has put you through.” Alex smirked. “His method of handling certain situations is quite different from my own, though I won’t deny my own involvement in what has happened to you.”

“What is your involvement?” Lisa asked quietly.

“I run my own business,” Alex explained. “Catering to a high-powered clientele with very specific goals and needs. I contract with others, Jackson being one, to carry out certain tasks.” He paused, glancing between the two of them. “I arranged the attempted assassination of Charles Keefe.”

There was a moment of silence, although Kaylie wasn’t exactly surprised. She knew he worked with Jackson, after all. What she didn’t understand was why Alex would be concerned with her father’s safety – not that she was complaining. She opened her mouth to ask, or perhaps simply to redirect the conversation back to her dad’s predicament, but Lisa spoke first and Kaylie found herself listening carefully.

“So that’s your business, then?” Lisa asked. “Government overthrows, flashy high-profile assassinations – I think that’s how Jackson put it?”

Kaylie knew she had heard that phrase before. Apparently it wasn’t the only time he’d used it.

Alex chuckled. “Jackson is sometimes a bit dramatic, but yes – that’s the gist of it.”

“So you coordinated the overall…assassination attempt,” Lisa continued. Kaylie wasn’t quite sure how she was managing to discuss this so calmly. “And Jackson handled the part related to…me?”

“Correct,” Alex affirmed.

Kaylie realized that she had no idea what part that was. Jackson had told her that Lisa had thwarted the attempt on Keefe’s life, but she didn’t have any idea of how Lisa had known about it in the first place. From how the other woman had phrased her question, Kaylie knew she hadn’t been a mere bystander. Jackson – and Alex – had gotten her involved somehow. She had unfortunately slept through most of the conversation in the car, only catching Jackson’s warning to Lisa that someone was after her and that she was already involved. That part, Kaylie knew.

Alex was still talking. “He shouldn’t have followed you to your house,” he said quietly, his eyes on Lisa. “The plane was unavoidable, but the rest was… unnecessary.” Lisa didn’t reply. “No harm will come to you here, you have my word.”

“Until I’m used as bait with your clients, you mean?” Lisa’s tone was harsh.

Kaylie’s head snapped to her. _What?_

Alex’s expression was unreadable. “Jackson told you his plan.”

“He told me enough.”

Alex sighed. “Nothing is going to happen until we’ve discussed it. You included.” He glanced up at Ben, who had appeared in the doorway. “But first, let’s get something to eat.”

Lisa sounded incredulous. “If you think-“

“Miss Reisert.” Alex looked at her intently, as Kaylie looked back and forth between the two of them. “I don’t blame you for being angry, but I promise that you will have a say in what happens to you. I know we’ve only just met, but I’m asking you to try to trust me. At least for tonight.”

Lisa swallowed hard, and Kaylie wasn’t expecting the word that passed the other woman’s lips. “Alright.”

 

\------------

 

After possibly the most awkward dinner that he had ever had the _dis_ pleasure of attending – damn Alex and his sense of propriety –, Jackson escorted Lisa down the hall to the room she’d be sharing with Kaylie. The younger girl was still in the kitchen with Alex and Ben, helping to clean up. Ben had taken the initiative to install a bolt lock on the outside of their bedroom; perhaps that kid would be of some use after all. Jackson was fairly confident that he could trust Kaylie to stay put. Lisa, not so much.

As if to prove his point, she rounded on him as soon as they were in the room.

“You have no right to keep me here.” Her eyes flashed. “Or to ask me to offer myself up as bait.”

“Who’s asking?” He sneered. “Besides, if you had just done what you were told during our first meeting, we wouldn’t even be here.”

“You are not going to blame me for this!” She hissed at him.

Jackson took a step towards her and watched with satisfaction as she stepped back. “You seem to be forgetting whom you’re dealing with,” he said coldly. “And that you have exactly zero control in this situation.”

“Alex seemed to feel differently,” she retorted. “He told me I’d have a say.”

“Of course he did.”

Lisa’s eyes narrowed. “Was he lying?”

Jackson chuckled. “No. He meant it. I’m just not sure I agree with him.” That was only partly true, if Jackson was being honest with himself. Lisa’s cooperation would make this a hell of a lot easier.

“I can refuse to cooperate,” she snapped.

“That wouldn’t be smart.”

“Why? Because you’ll kill me? I’m probably going to die anyway, seeing as how you’re planning on dangling me in front of this idiot client of yours.”

“I’m not going to kill you.” He said, for what felt like the thirtieth time. “I might, however, knock you out and tie you up and just deliver you to him that way.”

“Then what’s the difference?” she hissed.

“Or we could forget the whole thing, you can go home, and you’ll be dead within days when he catches up to you on his own.” Jackson reminded her, his tone heavy with sarcasm. “Remember that part?”

“That’s assuming you’re not just saying that to manipulate me into doing what you want.” Lisa folded her arms tightly across her chest. “And maybe I’d prefer to risk it on my own. Seeing as I’m certainly going to be dead if I stay here with you.”

Jackson sighed. He had known she wouldn’t be easy to convince. “I’m not going to let Parker kill you.”

That gave her pause. “What?”

“I’m not going to let him kill you. Or me, for that matter. But he has to think that I am, otherwise this won’t work.”

Lisa frowned. “And you expect me to just believe you?”

“It’d be helpful if you did,” he tried, smirking at her.

She glared. “Well, I don’t. You, of all people, are not likely to be concerned with my safety.”

“Ouch, Leese.” Jackson put a hand over his heart, and Lisa rolled her eyes. “Maybe I don’t want to see you hurt.”

“Why not?” She asked suspiciously.

“I’d miss your company,” he teased. “You keep things interesting.” 

“Six months ago you tried to kill me!”

“Things change.” He shrugged noncommittally, as she glared at him incredulously. He had one more point to make. He hadn’t mentioned it before now, but he had a feeling it would tip the balance in his favor. “This client that we’re speaking of, he’s the one who has Kaylie’s father.”

Lisa gaped at him. “Oh, I forgot. You mentioned, and so did Alex, but I didn’t make the connection-“

“Yes, well, same guy.”

“Kaylie’s dad was involved in the Keefe job?”

“Peripherally and not entirely willingly, but yes. And Parker – our client – is holding him hostage.” A beat. “Her dad is one of Alex’s closest friends.”

“Jackson Rippner, you had better not be planning on using that poor girl as any kind of bait.”

Jackson actually laughed. Lisa’s expression turned mutinous. “No. Kaylie doesn’t have anything to do with this. She’ll stay here, where it’s safe.”

“But you’re going to try to get her dad out.”

“We’re going to try to _take_ Parker out, so that we can all stop looking over our shoulders,” Jackson clarified. “ _Ideally_ rescuing Peter Hewett in the process.”

Lisa was quiet for a long moment. “And if I agree to help, it makes all of that more likely?”

_Yes, he had known the rescuing dad bit would appeal to her_. “Yes.”

“Even assuming I did believe everything you’ve said, you can’t guarantee my safety.”

“There will be risk involved for all of us,” Jackson acknowledged.

He could practically see the wheels turning in Lisa’s head. “You promise to keep Kaylie out of it?” she asked finally.

“Yes.”

“And when it’s over, I get to go home?”

Jackson gave a short nod. “I won’t stop you.” _Wait for it_.

Lisa swallowed hard. “I’m not agreeing to anything until you actually tell me what your plan is. I’m not going into this totally blind.”

Jackson smiled. And held out a hand. “You’ve got yourself a deal, Lisa Reisert.”

Lisa eyed him warily for a moment, before reaching out her own hand. And they shook on it.


	5. Chapter 5

“It’s wonderful to see you again, Kaylie.” Alex clearly noted her startled expression, as he settled into a chair opposite her position on the couch. “You probably don’t remember, but I met you when you were very young. You see, I know your father.”

“You do?” The concern for her father that she had been desperately trying to keep tamped down flared up again in full force. “Do you know where he is?”

“I believe Jackson has explained some of the current situation to you?”

“Yeah.” Kaylie nodded.

“He told you that your father is being held captive by the people that hired us to assassinate Charles Keefe, correct?”

Kaylie nodded again. Even after the past two days with Jackson, and now nearly one day with Alex and Ben, she was still a bit taken aback by how easily these people talked about murder. Especially Alex. Admittedly, she barely knew the man, but he seemed nice. Nicer than Jackson. And he knew her dad...

“Wait.”

Alex patiently complied.

“You said you met me when I was little? But I thought-“ she glanced at Jackson, who had at some point reappeared in the room and was watching the exchange. “Did my dad know you guys before Jackson kidnapped me? The first time?” 

“I’d never met him.” Jackson offered, dropping into a chair. 

“I knew him,” Alex confirmed. “I’ve known your father for a long time.”

Kaylie couldn’t figure out which question to tackle first. She finally settled on: “How?”

“We were graduate students together at MIT. I was at Sloan studying business, and he was…”

“Getting his masters in computer science,” Kaylie filled in.

“Yes.” Alex smiled fondly. “We got on immensely well; we became good friends.”

“And you let your…associate,” Kaylie parroted the word that Jackson had been using, for the moment putting aside any questions regarding her father’s knowledge of Alex’s choice of business. “Kidnap your friend’s daughter for leverage?”

Jackson snorted.

“That’s a fair question,” Alex replied. “You might have noticed, Kaylie, that no one really _lets_ Jackson do anything.” He shot the younger man a dark look. Jackson smirked. “He didn’t tell me what he was doing until he already had you, as he knew I’d object. But no harm would ever have come to you, you have my word on that.”

There was still a piece of this that Kaylie was missing, and it was a big one. “But what... what did my dad have that you needed? How did you-“ this was directed to Jackson now “-even know who he was? Who I was?”

“As I told you in the car,” Jackson replied. “He had information. Critical information.”

“What information? He doesn’t have connections to any politicians, and I don’t think he’s ever even been to Miami.”

Jackson and Alex exchanged a brief look, before Alex spoke. “The floor plans to the hotel.”

“What?” She turned to face him, certain her bewilderment was written all over her face. “How would he have those?”

“He procured them for us.”

“How? And unwillingly, you mean.”

Another pause. “In a manner of speaking.” Alex didn’t give Kaylie time to ponder that, before pressing on. “What does your father do for a living, Kaylie?”

“He’s a software engineer.”

“Is that all?”

“Yes…?” Kaylie really wasn’t sure where Alex was going with this.

“He is excellent at writing software.” Both men were watching her carefully and Kaylie was feeling distinctly uncomfortable. “He is also excellent at getting around it.”

It took a minute for that to sink in. “Are you saying my dad’s a hacker?”

“Not as a day job. But when he does dabble in that arena, he is very, very good at it.”

Kaylie blinked. “So he hacked into…wherever… and got you the plans to the hotel.”

“Yes.”

“Because _you_ ,” she looked at Jackson again. “Kidnapped me to force him to do it.” Without waiting for the confirmation she didn’t need, she spun back to Alex. “You said you weren’t involved with that. So did you just _happen_ to mention to Jackson that you had a friend who was a hacker?” Kaylie was getting angry now. “My dad was _your_ friend, so _you_ were the one who knew that he could do it.” 

“Yes.” Kaylie thought Alex looked a little sad. “I was the one that first approached your father about helping us.”

“You said-“ she growled, but he cut her off.

“I told you the truth when I said I wasn’t involved in your kidnapping, Kaylie,” Alex insisted. “I didn’t threaten your father. I asked him.”

“You asked him to steal plans for you so you could carry out an assassination?” Kaylie glared at him, incredulous. “What kind of thing is that to ask your _friend_?! Did you think he’d say yes?”

Alex glanced down. “Actually, he did, at first.”

Kaylie stared at him in shock. He had to be lying. There was no way in hell that her father would ever agree to something like that, even for as old a friend as Alex claimed to be. Without intending to, she found her gaze drifting to Jackson. She didn’t exactly know why, but she somehow trusted him to tell her the truth. Jackson held her gaze for a long moment and then gave a single nod.

Then Alex spoke again. “Kaylie, your father used to work for me.”

 

\------------

 

_9 Months Earlier_

 

Jackson wasn’t remotely surprised when his phone rang. Given the text message he’d sent just a short while ago, he was more surprised the call hadn’t come sooner. Glancing at the unconscious girl in the backseat of his car, he answered the call.

“Rippner.” 

“Jackson.” Alex was clearly already pissed, even if he didn’t quite know why yet. “What the hell did you mean, you’re “handling it your way”?

“I have Kaylie.” Jackson waited for the explosion. He wasn’t disappointed.

“WHAT?!” Alex roared down the phone. “What have you DONE?!”

“Relax, Alex. She’s fine. Currently sleeping it off in the backseat of my car.”

“What the fuck is the matter with you?!” Alex was not so easily appeased. “She’s a child, Peter’s child!”

“Yes, I’m aware.” Jackson rolled his eyes, though Alex couldn’t see it. “That’s rather the point.”

“Jackson, if you so much as harm one hair on that girl’s head-“

“I’m not going to hurt her, Alex,” Jackson retorted, exasperated. “As soon as he learns I have her, Peter will panic and then he’ll get us the plans. Then Kaylie gets returned to dad and everyone’s happy.”

Alex sighed heavily into the phone. “You should have let me handle it. I WAS handling it.”

“Not fast enough, Alex. You let your friendship with Peter get in the way of doing your job. We need those plans, which is why you’re not going to interfere.”

“Why are you even in Virginia? Shouldn’t you be in Miami dealing with the part of this that is _actually_ your responsibility?”

Jackson chuckled. “Yes, but this won’t take long. Couple of days, tops. I’m ready to go in Miami as soon as I get back. But if we don’t get those plans, it’s a moot point.”

“Peter’s going to hate me for this,” Alex grumbled, in what sounded like resignation.

“Peter’s going to hate ME,” Jackson quipped. “So it’s convenient that I don’t care.”

“I’m going to have to apologize to him for your idiotic, stupid-“ Alex cut himself off. “If any harm comes to her, Jackson, and I mean ANYTHING, I will kill you.”

Jackson didn’t doubt that he meant it.

 

\------------

 

_Present Day_

 

“This must all have come as quite a shock,” Ben said, not unkindly. He and Kaylie were sitting side by side on the sofa in the otherwise empty living room. Ben glanced sideways at the seventeen year old and gave her a sympathetic smile.

Kaylie liked Ben, she really did, although – admittedly - she’d known him less than a day. He was American, and twenty-three. She had no idea how he had ended up with Alex and Jackson, or what kind of work he did for them; she didn’t dare ask, for fear that her opinion of him might change. Her earlier conversation with the two other men had ended soon after Alex dropped the bombshell about her father. Recognizing her overwhelmed and emotional state, Alex had backed off, Jackson following suit. Shortly thereafter, Ben had appeared at her side, and they had been sitting in silence ever since.

Kaylie wasn’t sure how to process what she’d learned, wasn’t at all sure that she remotely believed it. Alex seemed genuine enough and she couldn’t really imagine why he’d lie about something like this. But then, she didn’t really know him. In fact, out of everyone in this entire apartment, Jackson was the only person – not counting her presumed encounter with Alex as a child, which she couldn’t remember – that she’d known before yesterday. That was almost as terrifying a thought as that of her father willingly assisting with an assassination. But with everything that she didn’t know, she DID know her father.

“My dad would never be involved in something like this,” she told Ben earnestly. “I know him. He would never willingly do something that would cause other people to get hurt.”

Ben looked thoughtful. “I don’t really know the details,” he admitted. “But I don’t think Alex would lie to you about it. And what he told you about the plans is true - your dad had agreed to help, but then something changed. I’m not sure what.”

Kaylie swallowed hard. “Maybe he didn’t know?” she wondered hopefully. “Maybe he didn’t know what it was all about, and then when he found out-“

“You’re not entirely wrong there,” came Alex’s voice from behind them. Ben went to stand, but Alex waved him back down, stepping around the sofa to sit across from them. He held Kaylie’s gaze for a moment. “Kaylie, everything that you know about your father is true. He’s a good man, a far better man than I, and he loves you more than anything in the world.”

Kaylie nodded and blinked back the tears that were suddenly in her eyes.

“We were friends first,” Alex continued. “And when I realized his skills, I recruited him. He didn’t approve, but we remained friends and he eventually agreed to help me. Only in procuring information, and I always kept him out of the rest of it.” Alex gave a sad smile. “After you were born, he worked for me only occasionally; and when your mother passed away, he told me he didn’t want to be involved anymore and I respected that. The Keefe job was the first time I had asked for his help in a long time.”

Kaylie listened, wide-eyed, and didn’t know what to say. She didn’t like this, any of it, but something in her gut was telling her that Alex was speaking the truth.

Alex pressed on. “He initially agreed to help, but – as you guessed – he learned something that changed his mind.”

“What?” Kaylie whispered.

“Something about the details of the job,” Alex sort-of explained. “I’d rather not get into the specifics, but it was enough to make him refuse. We were on a tight timeline and I tried to persuade him to reconsider, but-“

“He wouldn’t,” Kaylie finished. “So Jackson stepped in.”

Alex nodded. “I’m sorry, Kaylie,” he said earnestly, and she looked at him in surprise. “I should never have gotten him involved. You shouldn’t have ever needed to even know about this, and the last thing I wanted was for him to be in any danger.”

“Why _is_ he in danger?” Kaylie wondered. “How do the people who hired you even know who he is?”

Alex looked pained. “Your father and I met Parker – that’s the man who hired me – at the same time, years ago, during one of my early jobs. Parker knows your father, not well, but he knows of his skills and he somehow found out – or perhaps surmised – his involvement in the Keefe operation. I never expected Parker to target him.” Alex held Kaylie’s gaze. “I’ll do everything I can to get him out.”

“I believe you.” Kaylie whispered. And she did.

  
\------------

 

“Are you okay?”

Kaylie looked up to find Lisa watching her in concern. The older woman was sitting cross-legged on her bed, mere feet from Kaylie’s own.

“Yeah, I guess.” The teen sat up fully, mirroring Lisa’s position. “I still don’t know what to make of what Alex told me about my dad. And I’m totally freaked out about whether he’s even okay.”

“I don’t blame you,” Lisa sympathized. “Jackson and Alex think he’s being used to draw them in, though, which means it’s in his captors best interest not to harm him.”

Kaylie nodded. “I hope so.” She eyed Lisa carefully. “Jackson said that you agreed to help, but – when we first got here – you said something to Alex about being used as bait... is that what’s happening?” Kaylie was being kept in the dark and she knew it. Her efforts to get Jackson or Alex to tell her their plan had been largely futile, and she hadn’t had much chance to speak to Lisa alone. Yet.

Lisa was quiet for a moment, undoubtedly debating how to answer. “I was involved – unwillingly – in the Keefe… incident. I think you already know that. So I’m going to help Jackson and Alex…negotiate with their former client.” 

Kaylie rolled her eyes. “No one actually wants to tell me what’s going on.”

Lisa smiled. “I think the only thing the rest of us agree on is keeping you out of it as much as possible.”

“I’m not a little kid,” Kaylie protested softly. “And it’s MY dad who’s in danger right now.”

“I know. Trust me, Kaylie, I know what it feels like when someone threatens your family.”

“Is that…” Kaylie paused, realizing she was probably asking a rather personal question. “Is that what happened with Keefe? How they got you involved, I mean?”

“You don’t miss much, do you?” Lisa shook her head in what appeared to be amusement. “And yes. Jackson threatened my father in order to get me to cooperate.”

“What did he want you to do?”

Lisa sighed. “I’m the manager of the Lux Atlantic. The hotel where Keefe was staying. They needed me to change his room to make him easier to target.”

“Oh.” Kaylie digested that. “My dad got them the plans for your hotel. He’s a hacker, apparently, or so Alex tells me.”

Lisa leaned back against the wall behind her. “I wondered what his part was.” Kaylie had briefly shared with Lisa her newfound knowledge of her dad’s involvement with Alex, but they hadn’t gotten into the details. “If you don’t mind me asking, what happened to your mom?”

“She died when I was little,” Kaylie explained. “She had cancer.”

“Oh, Kaylie, I’m sorry.”

“Thanks,” Kaylie murmured. “It’s okay, though, it was a long time ago.” She eyed Lisa curiously. “Is your mom still alive?”

“Yeah,” the other woman nodded. “My parents are divorced and she lives in Dallas. I was actually flying back from my grandmother – her mom’s – funeral when Jackson…approached me.”

“The plane,” Kaylie recalled. “Alex mentioned a plane.” Then she remembered something else. “Jackson said you shot him.”

Lisa’s eyes widened comically. “He told you that?”

Kaylie nodded. “When we were driving to Miami. I asked if you were expecting us and he said you thought he was dead.”

Lisa’s eyes closed briefly, then opened again. “I did. Think he was dead. And shoot him.” She met Kaylie’s eyes. “In self defense.”

“He was trying to hurt you,” Kaylie guessed. The pained look that flickered across Lisa’s face had her backpedaling fast. “I’m sorry, you shouldn’t have to talk about it, and it’s none of my business-“ Kaylie felt slightly sick. She knew Jackson was dangerous, but so far – in her two encounters with him – he had kept his promise of not harming her. She found Jackson intimidating enough when he wasn’t violent, she didn’t want to imagine the side of him that Lisa had seen.

“It’s okay,” Lisa gave her a slightly shaky smile. “I interfered with his plans, he came after me, I defended myself. When he showed up at my apartment yesterday, I thought…” She trailed off. “But I was wrong, and here we are.”

“Here we are,” Kaylie repeated. “With you agreeing to help him?”

Lisa actually did smile at that. “Insane, huh?”

“Do you trust them? Jackson and Alex?”

Lisa sighed. “Not entirely. But I do think they’re telling the truth about the situation with their client.” She met Kaylie’s eyes. “And I’d like to do whatever I can to help your dad.”

“Thanks.” Kaylie gave a sad smile.

“We should get some rest,” Lisa said then, forestalling any further conversation as she maneuvered herself under the covers.

Kaylie followed suit, not speaking again until they were both lying in the darkness.

“Lisa?”

“Mmm.”

“You shouldn’t have to, you know. My dad wouldn’t want you to risk yourself on his account, that’s not the kind of person he is.”

Lisa was quiet for a long time. “All the more reason for me to do it.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The action begins...
> 
> I generally feel that I'm better at writing dialogue than action scenes, so hopefully this came out okay!
> 
> Warning: Minor character death in this chapter.

“We’re heading out soon,” Jackson said on Tuesday evening, leaning back against the doorframe.

Kaylie glanced up from the book she was attempting to read. Setting it aside, she shifted on her bed, pulling her legs underneath her. “Okay.”

Jackson scrutinized her for a moment. “Ben will be here and has explicit instructions to take good care of you.” He paused. “He also has instructions to do whatever is necessary to keep you in this apartment. I don’t want to hear that you’ve caused him any trouble, is that clear?”

“Yes.” Kaylie nodded. While she hadn’t known Ben for very long, she did not feel that she needed to worry about being left in his care. They had developed an easy rapport and she didn’t at all mind the prospect of an evening in his company. Besides, she was far more concerned with what might happen where the other three of their party were going.

“Good.” Jackson pushed himself off the wall and turned to the door.

“Jackson?”

He paused.

“What did my dad learn about the Keefe operation that made him change his mind?”

Jackson turned to face her again. “Why are you asking me that?”

“Alex wouldn’t tell me,” Kaylie admitted.

“And you think I will?”

“Yes,” she said, trying to project a confidence that she didn’t feel. “Alex seems to want to protect me from anything else potentially upsetting. But you don’t really care about that.”

Jackson studied her for a moment. “He learned that we were targeting Keefe’s family.”

Kaylie was suddenly hearing a different conversation, with a TV news report playing in the background. _His – his family, too?_ “His wife,” she recalled, voice wavering slightly. “And his kids.”

“Apparently targeting Keefe was something your father could live with, but harming his children was not.” Jackson shrugged. “Must be a dad thing.” 

Kaylie glared at him. “I can’t believe that you… and Alex… were targeting _children_.” Kaylie wasn’t sure if she was angry or about to burst into tears.

“Just doing what we were hired to do.”

“But why would Alex even agree to a job like that?” She had occasionally seen a darker side to Jackson, but Kaylie couldn’t reconcile the polite, kind Alex with the horrific operation he had planned.

“Kaylie, don’t be fooled into thinking that Alex isn’t ruthless.” Jackson warned her seriously. “He’s far nicer than I am, he despises revenge and he protects those he cares about. But he’s also a businessman and the most dangerous person you’ve ever met.”

Kaylie blinked. “More dangerous than you?”

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” Jackson quipped, before sobering again. “And yes. Among his many skills, Alex got his start in this business as a sniper. He’s the best shot I’ve ever seen.”

“Oh.” Kaylie really didn’t know what else to say to that. 

Jackson turned to go.

“Be careful,” she blurted out, to her own surprise. “I’d actually kind of like all three of you to come back. And my dad, too.”

Jackson was halfway out the door before he replied. “So would I.”

 

\------------

 

_9 Months Earlier_

 

The first thing Kaylie registered was that she was extremely uncomfortable. She wanted to open her eyes and see what was wrong with her bed – or maybe she’d fallen asleep on the couch, it felt narrow - but her eyelids were heavy and she couldn’t quite do it. She tried to bring a hand up to rub across her face, but found that her left hand wouldn’t move without her right one. _What the…_ she thought, and only then did she feel the rough bands binding her wrists together. Her slowly developing thoughts were interrupted by a rough jolt. _Where am I?_ she wondered, forcing her eyes open. Through blurry vision, what looked suspiciously like the ceiling of a car swam into view. Turning her head slightly to one side, she could now see that she was, in fact, lying across the backseat of a car, and she wasn’t alone. There was a man in the driver’s seat. A man she didn’t recognize. Her eyes widened. _What had happened to her?_ The last thing she remembered was sitting at her kitchen table just after school, drinking a glass of juice. _Who was this man and where was he taking her? Where was her dad? This was so not good. Maybe if she stayed quiet he wouldn’t realize she was awake._ No sooner had the thought crossed her mind than he glanced over his shoulder, blue eyes meeting hers. He smiled.

“Rise and shine.”

Kaylie mumbled something incoherent, sitting up with some difficulty and ending up half-propped up against the backseat.

“I drugged you,” the man in the driver’s seat offered casually. “So you’ll probably be out of it for a bit.” There was a rustling in the front seat and something heavy landed in Kaylie’s lap. She blinked down at it, identifying a bottle of water. “Drink that,” he ordered.

Kaylie looked from the bottle of water to the stranger, not sure if she should even voice what was on her mind.

“It’s just water,” he clarified, sounding mildly irritated. “If I wanted you still unconscious, you’d be unconscious.”

Kaylie’s drug-addled brain was finally processing how much trouble she might actually be in. She glanced frantically around her, futilely hoping for an escape route and finding none. They were on the highway and it was nearly fully dark. She reached towards her pocket with both bound hands, seeking her phone. Nothing. She opened her mouth and then snapped it closed – screaming was clearly pointless – as her heart pounded in her ears. Maybe there was something she could use to defend herself? As she looked around again in desperation, her eyes met his in the mirror. He looked amused.

“Reality catching up to you?” He smirked. “Do try _not_ to have a panic attack.” Kaylie struggled to take a deep breath and he rolled his eyes. “Drink the water.”

With shaking hands, she twisted the cap off of the bottle, mildly reassured to find it was still factory sealed. She downed a third of it in one go. She had no chance at all of getting out of this if her brain wasn’t functioning; hopefully the water would help with that.

“My name is Jackson,” her companion introduced himself. She could see part of his face in the rearview mirror. He was considerably older than she, but still fairly young; Kaylie would guess late twenties or thirty. He had brown hair, bright blue eyes and was wearing a collared shirt and suit jacket. He was still smiling.

“What do you want from me?” she whispered, mentally kicking herself as soon as the words were past her lips. _What was she going to do with his answer?_

“Nothing, really,” Jackson replied, sounding vaguely amused. “I do, however, have some unfinished business with your father.” Kaylie sat up straighter at that, or tried to, anyway. “He’s being most uncooperative, so I’ve unfortunately had to resort to drastic measures.”

“Dr-drastic measures?” Kaylie willed her voice to stop shaking, with absolutely no success.

“Mm.” Jackson smirked. “Coercion.”

_Oh_. “Me.”

Jackson actually winked at her. “Smart girl.”

Kaylie tried to take a deep breath. _Don’t panic, don’t panic._ “Where’s my dad?”

“At work, I presume. Or perhaps home now.” Jackson shrugged. “He wasn’t when we left. I left him a note.”

Kaylie realized then that they were exiting the highway, and a couple of minutes later, Jackson pulled off the road into some kind of parking lot. She cast a frantic look around, realizing that she wasn’t even exactly sure where they were. It didn’t help that it was pitch black outside the car. How long had she been knocked out? She glanced at the clock, it was almost 7 PM. Her father should be home. He’d realize she was gone and see Jackson’s note and do whatever he had to do to rescue her and--- Jackson shut off the ignition and turned to face her. Kaylie swallowed hard.

He scrutinized her for a moment. “So. Kaylie Elizabeth Hewett. Sixteen years old, seventeen in March, is it?” He was smirking again. “Lived in Alexandria your entire life, mom died when you were eight, now it’s just you and dad. Junior at Jefferson… should I go on?” He had clearly noted her pale and pained expression.

She could barely get her voice to work. “N-no.” This man knew who she was and had kidnapped her out of her own kitchen without her ever having seen or suspected a thing. He was clearly very good. And dangerous. 

“That’s what I thought.” He reached for her without warning, and she couldn’t suppress the squeak of alarm as he grabbed her by the front of her shirt and pulled her forward until they were only inches apart.

“Please don’t hurt me,” she whispered. 

He chuckled. “Are you in any position to be making demands?”

_Shit. Shit_. “N-no,” she stuttered, tears pooling in her vision. “Just-“

“I’m not going to hurt you,” he interrupted. “On two conditions. One, you do exactly as I say and don’t give me any trouble. Two, your father does the same. And we both know that he will be falling over himself to do whatever I ask in order to get you back safely. Do we have an understanding?” 

Kaylie nodded, a few tears escaping and trailing down her cheeks. “Yes,” she whispered.

“Good.” Jackson rolled his eyes, releasing her. “Then stop crying and let’s go.”

 

\------------ 

 

_Present Day_

 

Jackson pulled into the lot, eyes quickly skimming his surroundings in the rapidly fading light. Three warehouses from what he could see, no other cars. Parker was here already, he was certain of it, probably parked behind one of the buildings. Lisa sat beside him, her body tense as she, too, peered cautiously through the windshield.

Jackson was still a little bit amazed that Lisa was here willingly, although her decision probably had a lot to do with her rapidly developing big-sister relationship with Kaylie. Alex’s involvement probably helped as well; Lisa seemed to trust him more readily, not that Jackson was exactly surprised by that fact. And she wasn’t the only one who was glad of the sniper’s presence on this little outing. Jackson had been prepared to force Lisa if necessary, but it was going to be a lot easier to get them both out of this unscathed if she wasn’t tied up, or unconscious, or fighting him on every step. It’d be even easier if she completely trusted him, but he’d take what he could get.

They had dropped a black-clad Alex and his small duffel bag a block back about ten minutes earlier; he’d find his own way in. Although it had been some time since Alex had put his fieldwork skills to use, Jackson knew he hadn’t lost his touch. Parker had provided them with the location of the warehouse a short time before; it was only – as it turned out – ten miles from their current accommodations. Jackson would have preferred an advance opportunity to scope the area, but had not expected to get it. Alex would have to be enough.

He parked the car a short distance away from the designated warehouse, close enough to make a hasty exit if needed. Checked his watch. 2 minutes to go. Alex’s voice buzzed in his ear, courtesy of the earpiece the older man had insisted upon.

“I’ve got eyes on Parker. He’s in his car around back, with two – no three – bodyguards. I should have a view into the warehouse momentarily.”

Jackson glanced around; he hadn’t seen Alex’s movement, but then, he wouldn’t have. He turned to Lisa. 

“You ready?”

She met his eyes steadily, though he could see the worry swirling in them. “Ready as I’m gonna be.”

He gave a curt nod. “Let’s go.”

His phone rang as they approached the warehouse door.

“Rippner.”

“Jackson, my boy.” Parker’s annoyingly familiar voice reached his ears and Jackson gritted his teeth. “How nice of you to stop by.”

“Cut the bullshit, Parker,” he retorted. “Are we doing this or what?”

“But of course.” The other man chuckled. “Inside you’ll find Peter. Unharmed, won’t Alex be pleased. I’m assuming he’s around here somewhere?”

Jackson didn’t answer that, and Parker pressed on.

"He’s currently secured to a chair. Take him, leave Miss Reisert in his place. Quite simple, no?”

“What, no face to face meeting?” Jackson quipped.

“Jackson, Jackson, do you really think I trust you that much?”

Jackson got a mild amount of satisfaction from Parker’s clear reluctance to face him head on. “About as much as I trust you. But I did think you wanted me, too?”

Parker huffed a laugh. “I know when to cut my losses. Leave Miss Reisert, take Peter, walk away. Sound good?”

“Consider it done.” The call ended. Jackson glanced at Lisa, who was watching him curiously and with no small amount of trepidation. Even assuming he believed a word of what Parker had said, he was not about to leave her to face that maniac alone.

Alex’s voice came over the earpiece. “I have some visibility inside. Peter is definitely in there, no one else that I can see.” He sucked in a breath. “It’s likely a trap.”

_Definitely a trap_ , Jackson mused, pushing the door open cautiously. _The question was, how exactly?_

He stepped inside, keeping Lisa behind him and one hand on the gun at his waist. Not his preferred weapon, but it would hopefully do in a pinch. Really, he’d rather leave that part to Alex. The knife strapped to his other side was far more his style, but it didn’t seem like he’d be getting close enough to anyone to use it. His eyes scanned the room as they adjusted to the dimmer light, looking for figures in the dark corners, snipers lying in wait above. Finding nothing. There were no upper levels or walkways where someone might hide. The high windows were a potential risk, but the buildings nearby were few and Alex would have spotted a sniper on a rooftop. Jackson seriously doubted that Parker knew any better than the Irishman. His gaze landed on a man seated on a chair in the center of the room. The man straightened as he saw them, his eyes widening over his gagged mouth. _Peter_. 

Peter’s wrists were bound to the arms of the chair and he immediately began tapping one finger against the material. Jackson nearly dismissed it as nerves, but then the pattern began to emerge. _Tap tap tap. Tap tap._ Morse code. _K – A – Y – L –_ Jackson didn’t need to wait for the rest.

“She’s fine.” He locked eyes with Peter, hoping the other man would believe him. He certainly didn’t have much reason to, that was for sure. “She’s with us, and Alex. She’s safe. We’ll keep her safe.”

Peter gave a nod, so imperceptible that Jackson almost missed it. His eyes never leaving Jackson’s, the older man suddenly threw his weight to one side, toppling the chair. Lisa gasped as the chair and it’s occupant thudded against the floor, but Jackson’s eyes were riveted to where’s Peter’s jacket had fallen open. To the explosives strapped to Peter’s chest.

Whirling, he grabbed Lisa’s arm and propelled her towards the exit. “Move, Lisa! Run!” They made it out the door, and Jackson felt the tremor before he heard it. He tackled Lisa to the ground, shielding her with his body, as the explosion rocked the warehouse behind them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, Kaylie.
> 
> We're now more than halfway through! There's still much to come, though (and then there's that sequel I'm working on...).


	7. Chapter 7

“Have you heard anything?” Kaylie pressed her nose against the cool glass, peering out the window. It was almost fully dark and car headlights flashed by on the street below.

“I told you,” Ben replied, from where he sat at the table. “We won’t hear anything until it’s over.”

“Sorry,” Kaylie mumbled, moving away from the window to drop into the chair opposite his. “I’m just worried.”

“I know.” Ben gave her a sympathetic smile. “But Jackson and Alex know what they’re doing, trust me.”

“It’s just, it seems like there are so many ways it can go wrong,” Kaylie replied. She didn’t really know what all those ways were, seeing as no one had been willing to share with her what the actual plan was. She knew that Jackson, Alex and Lisa had gone to meet Parker to try to negotiate the return of her father and their own safety. Why Parker would even agree to that, or what they were planning to offer him in return, Kaylie had no idea. They’d only been gone an hour and she was already sick with anxiety and dread. “What if it goes wrong?”

“Well, they’re pretty good at handling those kind of situations, too,” Ben replied, clearly trying to put her at ease. “Look, let’s just think about something else, okay?” Kaylie shot him an incredulous look, but Ben proved undeterred. “You’re a senior, right? Are you planning on going to college?”

“Yeah.” Kaylie didn’t really think she could be distracted, but she appreciated Ben’s effort. Not for the first time, she thought he was really too nice to be in this business. “I looked at a bunch of schools this summer.” _With her dad_. She pushed the thought away. “I’m thinking of staying in DC for school, I’ve always wanted to live in the city. I really liked Georgetown when I visited, but not sure if I’ll get in.”

Ben smiled at her. “I bet you will.”

Kaylie huffed a laugh. “You hardly even know me! Or what kind of grades I get.” She studied him for a moment. “Did you go to college?”

Ben nodded. “U Texas at Austin. For business. Graduated last year.”

“Congrats.” He smiled at her. “So are you more on the business side then, of whatever it is you do for Alex?”

Ben studied her carefully for a moment. “Yes. Right now, I’m doing mostly logistics, but I’m learning a lot about how the business is run.”

“Can I ask how you got involved?”

“Alex recruited me,” Ben told her. “During my sophomore year, I met someone in Austin that had worked with him and then Alex got in touch. He’s very well connected and I think he’s sort of always keeping an eye out for people he might want to work with.”

“He recruited my dad, too,” Kaylie reminded him. “Do you know if he recruited Jackson?”

“I think so?” Ben phrased it as a question. “I’m not sure, Jackson’s pretty tight-lipped about his past, or everything really, you might have noticed.” Kaylie chuckled in agreement. “I think Jackson went to school overseas and that’s when they met, but I don’t know the details.”

“Do you still live in Austin?”

“Yeah.” Ben grinned. “I love it there. That’s why Alex pulled me in on this, I think I was just about the closest resource.”

Kaylie chewed her lip before asking her next question. “Were you involved in the Keefe job?”

Ben raised an eyebrow. “Do you actually want me to answer that?”

“Yes. No. I don’t know,” Kaylie sighed, then met his eyes. “Yes.”

Ben waited a moment, as though expecting she might change her mind. “Yes, I was. Only from a logistics standpoint, coordinating people, travel, equipment, that sort of thing. I wasn’t privy to a lot of the details of the job.”

“Oh.”

“If you don’t mind me saying so, Kaylie, you’re awfully cool about this whole thing.” Ben was wearing an expression that looked a bit like amazement. “I mean, talking about the business that we’re in and all that. It’s not exactly an easy subject.”

“I don’t know,” Kaylie shrugged. “I’m not going to pretend I like what you guys are involved in, but Alex is apparently friends with my dad, and I’ve been safe here, and – even when Jackson took me hostage before – he never-”

“Wait, what?” Ben’s eyes widened in shock. “That’s how he got your dad to provide the plans,” he realized.

Kaylie’s brow furrowed. “I thought you knew.”

He shook his head. “No. Alex told me that your dad had backed out, and then that he’d changed his mind. I just assumed Alex had convinced him.”

“It was all Jackson,” Kaylie said dryly. “He held me hostage for nearly two days.”

“Kaylie, what I just said about you being cool about all of this?” Ben was looking at her intently. “It’s really, _really_ , true.”

Kaylie huffed a laugh. “Trust me, I wasn’t cool at all. I was terrified. Still kind of am, actually.” She rested her head in her hands. “And confused.”

“Yeah, that’s fair.”

“Ben?” She peered up at him through her fingers. “There’s a possibility my dad won’t come back, isn’t there.” It wasn’t exactly a question and she fought down the tightness in her chest at finally voicing it out loud.

Ben exhaled heavily. “Yeah,” he said after a moment. “There is.”

Kaylie covered her face with her hands and tried to remember to breathe.

 

\------------ 

 

The dust hadn’t settled when Jackson was on his feet again, pulling Lisa up after him. She looked slightly dazed and every bit as filthy as he felt. He pulled her towards the car, feeling distantly relieved when she snapped out of the stupor and scrambled into the passenger seat. Jackson shoved the key into the ignition and pulled away from the now rather unsteady warehouse. 

“Alex?” He asked, listening hard to the silence now emanating from his earpiece. “Alex, you there?”

His phone began ringing.

“Shit,” he grumbled, wrenching his phone from his pocket with one hand and throwing it into Lisa’s lap. “If it’s Alex, answer it!”

She complied. “Yeah, we’re okay!” Lisa shouted into the phone. Apparently her ears were ringing as much as his were. “Where – okay, we’re coming!” She turned to Jackson, gesturing out the window. “He’s in that building there!”

Jackson pulled up alongside it, just as Alex burst through the door and flung himself into the backseat. He stepped on the gas, just as another car careened around the corner behind them. Jackson felt more than heard the thud of metal hitting the back of the car and accelerated faster.

“Are they shooting at us?” Lisa sounded panicked.

“Yes.” Alex was completely calm. “Jackson, turn here.”

The younger man did so and immediately saw Alex’s reasoning. This road put them on the shortest path to merging back on to the highway, where there were more cars. More witnesses. Parker seemed to have realized this as well, for while the other car continued to follow them, no further shots were fired.

Lisa glanced in the rearview. “He’s following us.”

“Yes.” 

“What the hell happened in there?” She exclaimed.

“It was a set-up,” Jackson explained, checking the rearview to see the car still tailing them. “As we expected it might be. Parker planned to kill both of us along with Peter.”

"Where were the explosives?” Alex asked. “I couldn’t see-.”

“Peter was wearing them,” Jackson replied.

The older man’s eyes closed. When he opened them again, he met Jackson’s gaze in the mirror. Alex was as calm and collected as always, but Jackson could see the pain in his eyes.

“When Peter,” Lisa’s voice cracked slightly and she took a deep breath before continuing. “When he tipped the chair over, he was trying to warn us, wasn’t he?”

Jackson nodded. “Yes. I think he hoped we’d either see the explosives, or the impact with the floor would set it off before we got any closer.”

“But that’s not what happened.” Lisa sounded confused. “It didn’t go off right away…” 

“Remote detonated,” Alex interjected quietly. “I’m sure Parker had eyes in the warehouse. When he saw what Peter was doing, he-.” He broke off.

Lisa twisted in her seat to look at him. “I’m sorry, Alex,” she said quietly. “I know Peter was your friend.”

Alex nodded his thanks. “There wasn’t anything we could have done.” He sighed heavily. “I never even got a clear sight on Parker. I almost took out one of his guys, but that would’ve tipped him off that we weren’t playing along.” He paused. “I’m not sure how we’re going to tell Kaylie.”

Jackson watched as Lisa squeezed her eyes shut. Of course she’d feel pain on the younger girl’s behalf.

“We’ve got a more immediate problem,” he interjected, nodding to the rearview. Parker had dropped back enough that Jackson could just barely recognize the vehicle, but he knew without a doubt that the other car was still following them.

Lisa’s eyes shot open, as Alex replied: “I don’t know about you, Jackson, but I’d like to finish this.”

The expression on Alex’s face was one Jackson hadn’t seen very often. He almost made a quip about revenge, but decided it wasn’t the time. “Agreed.”

“What does that mean?” Lisa asked suspiciously, glancing between the two of them.

“Head back to the apartment,” Alex directed.

“What?!” Lisa spun back to face him. “No. You cannot be thinking of going back there with Parker tailing us!”

“Lisa-“ Jackson started, but was abruptly cut off.

“You both promised you’d keep Kaylie out of this,” she growled. “We are not leading them straight back to her!”

“We need the home advantage,” Alex explained patiently. “Parker won’t follow us in right away, he’ll wait and try to catch us off guard. Likely sometime overnight. And we’ll be ready.”

“They don’t want Kaylie,” Jackson added, as Lisa looked about to object again. “And they may not even recognize her, nor Ben. It will be easy enough for the two of them to slip out unnoticed, even with Parker watching the building.”

“They should leave now,” Lisa protested. “Before we get back.”

“There isn’t time,” Alex replied. “I’ll text Ben now and tell him to start packing up, but it’s going to take awhile.”

“I don’t care-“

“Lisa.” Alex waited until she met his eyes. “We will not let any harm come to Kaylie.”

“How do you know that Parker won’t try to attack right away? If he waits, he’s only giving us time to prepare.”

“He’s making a mistake either way,” Jackson added, before Alex could respond. “By coming after us at all.”

“Do you think I’m wrong?” The older man asked.

Jackson laughed. “No. I said I think he’s making a mistake, not that he _won’t_ do it.”

“Parker is angry and impulsive, and we’re counting on that making him sloppy,” Alex explained to Lisa. “He’s not completely stupid, he knows that storming in right after us would only get messy. But he’s impatient enough that he _will_ act tonight, just enough later that he can convince himself he might surprise us.”

“You know him well,” Lisa observed.

“I’ve known him a long time,” Alex acknowledged. “Too long.”

“Has he ever done something like this before?”

“He’s never had a reason to be unhappy with me before,” Alex replied. “I’ve handled jobs for him in the past, but they’ve always gone smoothly.”

“Oh.”

“That’s no excuse for this, though,” Alex continued, his tone harsh. “Things sometimes go wrong, I’ve had other jobs encounter hiccups. You work it out financially, as businessmen. That apparently wasn’t good enough for Parker.” He met Lisa’s eyes. “Which is why we need to end this before anyone else gets hurt.”

She held his gaze. “Okay,” she said after a long moment, with a sigh of resignation. “Okay.”

 

\------------

 

Both figures at the table startled when Ben’s phone pinged. He snatched it up, brow furrowing as he read the message. 

“It’s Alex,” he shared. “He says we need to pack up and get ready to go.”

“Go?” Kaylie asked. “What happened? Are they okay? Is my-is my dad okay?”

Ben looked at her sympathetically. “He didn’t say. He did say they’ll be back soon.” He stood. “Come on, let’s get packed up."

Kaylie followed, trying to ignore the rising feeling of panic.

Not fifteen minutes later, the door banged open and Kaylie and Ben practically tripped over each other in their haste to reach it. There was Jackson, clearly pissed and looking as though he’d rolled around in the dirt. There was Lisa, as filthy as Jackson, wide-eyed with fear and remorse. Kaylie’s heart pounded as she looked to Alex, the last member of the group to enter the apartment. Meeting his eyes, she knew.

“No,” she whispered.

“I’m so sorry, Kaylie.” There was more emotion in Alex’s voice than she’d ever heard. “I’m so sorry. There was nothing we could do.”

“No,” she repeated, unaware that she was backing up until her back hit the wall. She shook her head, tears blurring her vision. “It can’t-you can’t-“

Lisa and Ben were flanking her then, holding her up as her legs nearly gave out. Lisa pulled her close. “I’m so sorry,” the older woman echoed Alex’s words, her own voice sounding choked with emotion. “It’ll be okay, Kaylie, I promise.”

Kaylie clung to Lisa, feeling as though her entire world had just been tipped on its axis. No, it won’t be. No. No. No.

“As heart-wrenching as this is,” Jackson’s sarcastic tone cut through the haze to reach Kaylie’s ears. “We have things to do.”

“Jackson!” Lisa snapped. 

He was right in front of her then, pulling her away from Lisa, who determinedly held on. Kaylie blinked at him through her tears. “Kaylie.” Jackson said calmly, coldly. “We are not out of this yet. So you need to pull yourself together.”

“Jackson, what the hell-“ Lisa growled, as Ben spat: “Leave her alone-“

“Shut up, both of you,” he snapped, cutting them off. “Kaylie, we don’t have time for this.” His grip on her shoulders was tight. “So snap out of it, you can cry later."

Kaylie finally found her voice. “You said,” she accused. “You said you were going to help my dad.” Anger. Anger was easier than pain.

“I said I’d try,” he retorted. “And it didn’t work. Sometimes, things don’t work out the way we want. Time to grow up.”

“Jackson.” It was Alex this time, and he sounded weary. “Back off.”

“I hate you,” Kaylie spat, throwing a weak, poorly aimed punch in Jackson’s direction. He easily blocked it, pressing her back against the wall.

“Good for you,” he retorted sharply. “I don’t care.” Releasing her abruptly, he walked away. “You have five minutes to pull it together, then we have to move.”

Unable to remain upright any longer, Kaylie slid down the wall, Ben following until they sat side by side on the floor. Lisa, still on her feet, eyed them for one long moment before turning and storming out the way Jackson had gone.

 

\------------ 

 

“Jackson!” 

He turned to see that Lisa had followed him into his room. She looked furious.

“What is the matter with you?!” she spat, not stopping until she was right in front of him. “Kaylie just lost her father and you couldn’t be a little sympathetic for one second?”

“I don’t do sympathy,” he retorted, turning away from her. She grabbed his arm and pulled him back.

“You were cruel, Jackson,” she insisted. “She’s just a kid, a kid who has just lost the only parent she has and you-“

“I am trying,” he snapped, cutting her off. “To keep us all alive. Which is more important than Kaylie’s feelings. I’m not about to coddle her. Or you.”

Lisa’s eyes flashed. “And what about keeping Peter alive? I know there was nothing we could have done, but Kaylie was counting on us to get him back.”

Jackson glanced down. “Yeah, well.”

He heard Lisa’s sharp intake of breath. “You knew.” He met her furious expression. She was absolutely gorgeous when she was angry, and he really wanted to kiss her – _wait, what?_ Lisa was oblivious to his momentarily derailed train of thought. “You knew that we weren’t going to get Peter out.”

“I didn’t know he was going to be wearing explosives,” Jackson defended himself. “But I know Parker and I knew that the odds of us taking him out AND rescuing Peter were low. I was hoping we’d get at least one of the two, and my priority was always Parker.”

“You manipulated me,” she growled, shoving him. “You used Peter to convince me to help you, and you let Kaylie believe that we were rescuing her dad.”

“Kaylie believed that all on her own!” he exclaimed. “I never made her any promises I couldn’t keep.”

“But you let her believe it! And don’t you dare tell me it wasn’t intentional-let me go!”

She had tried to shove him again, and Jackson had seized her by the wrists. She pushed at his chest and, without thinking, he pulled her closer and kissed her. For a split second, she kissed him back. Then she pulled away, wrenched her arms from his grasp and slapped him across the face. Hard. He blinked as she turned and stalked away, slamming the door shut behind her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Great timing there, Jackson.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Brief, not terribly graphic, violence at the end of this chapter.

_9 Months Earlier_

 

Kaylie stared out the window, watching the familiar scenery fly by. It was a sunny morning and they were quite clearly headed back towards Alexandria. Between the after effects of the drug and sheer terror, she’d had no idea how far they’d driven two nights before, but now realized they’d gone more than an hour away from her home. She glanced at Jackson, in the driver’s seat; if he noticed her gaze, he gave no indication. He’d allowed her to sit up front for this trip, her first time out of the hotel room in thirty-seven hours. Thirty-seven hours spent with Jackson. Not that she was counting.

He had kept his promise of not harming her, but she was still completely terrified of him. Kaylie had come to view Jackson as something akin to a tightly coiled spring, carefully controlled, but with the potential to let loose without notice if she said or did the wrong thing. And that’s basically what’d he said, hadn’t he? That he wouldn’t hurt her _as long as_ she cooperated. And if she didn’t… well, that was an alternative Kaylie preferred not to think about.

Once, in a moment of brazen stupidity, she’d tried asking him what he needed from her father. Not that she was at all sure what she’d do with that information. Jackson had put a stop to that in short order, invading her personal space and very coldly explaining that if she wanted to remain conscious, she had better shut up and stop asking questions. She hadn’t spoken again after that, except for when he addressed her directly. For the most part, he’d left her alone, spending his time working on his laptop and fielding text messages. Once, he’d taken a phone call, stepping just outside the room where she couldn’t hear.

Kaylie had considered calling reception while he was occupied, or making a run for it when he was in the bathroom, or screaming for help when room service was at the door, but something always stopped her. Perhaps it was the fact that he seemed to anticipate her every move, warning her off of exactly the things she was considering before leaving her momentarily unsupervised. She didn’t truly believe she wouldn’t get caught, and then her situation would be much, much worse. He told her he’d safely return her to her dad and she was terrified of jeopardizing that. So Kaylie had resigned herself to watching a lot of television, though she hadn’t been able to actually focus on most of it.

She was jarred from her thoughts as they pulled off the highway and Kaylie realized with growing relief that they were approaching her neighborhood. Fearing she might jinx herself, she kept her mouth clamped shut to avoid asking any questions. 

Neither spoke until Jackson stopped the car along the edge of a large park. “Do you know where you are?”

“Yes.” And she definitely did. This park was only blocks from her house.

“Your father will be meeting you by the playground in…” Jackson glanced at his watch. “Just under ten minutes.”

“What?” Kaylie gaped at him. She’d been hoping for this, to be sure, but too terrified to actually count on it.

Jackson rolled his eyes. “He held up his end of the deal, so now I’m holding up mine.”

“Oh.” Kaylie scanned the park. There were more people out than she’d expected, but the bright sunshine and unusually warm temperature had clearly brought them out of doors on this winter Sunday morning. She knew the playground Jackson was referring to, it was just around the corner from where they were currently parked. Out of sight.

“Are you getting out or what?” Jackson asked with a hint of annoyance. “I have things to do.”

“Oh, right,” Kaylie shook herself. “Sorry.” She reached for the door handle and scrambled out quickly, suddenly worried he might change his mind. “Uh, bye.” 

She heard his quiet snort as she shut the car door, jogging quickly into the park in the direction of the playground. When she reached the bend, around which lay the playground, she glanced over her shoulder. Jackson’s car was gone.

“Kaylie!”

At the sound of her father’s voice, an incredible sense of relief washed over the teenager. She had barely turned around when he reached her, and she flung her arms around him, clinging desperately as he held her tight.

“Kaylie, I’m so glad you’re alright.” Her dad’s voice sounded thick with tears. “I’m so…I’m so sorry.” He squeezed her even tighter. “I’m so sorry.”

“It’s okay,” she sniffed.

“He didn’t hurt you, did he?” Peter pushed her back just enough to see her face, without relinquishing his hold. His eyes were wet. Kaylie hadn’t seen her father cry in years, not since just after her mom died.

“No, he didn’t.” She shook her head, her own eyes filling with tears. “Dad, who even was that? What did he want with you?”

Her dad pulled her closer once again. “No one you need to worry about, sweetheart. It’s all over, I promise.”

They stood for a long moment, locked in a tight embrace, oblivious to the delighted shouts of the children in the playground behind them.

“Dad?” Kaylie finally spoke, peering up at him. “Do I have to go to school tomorrow?”

Peter laughed into her hair, although it came out slightly choked, and squeezed her tight. “No, I think you’ve earned at least one day off.”

Kaylie nodded. She wanted to ask more questions, so many questions, but she didn’t want to let go of her dad or think about anything other than how safe she felt in his arms. She rested her cheek against his coat as she gazed across the park, watching children and dogs running in the sunshine as parents looked on in amusement. She was safe. She’d made it through and she was out of that hotel room, away from Jackson. Safe. Her questions could wait.

 

\------------ 

 

_Present Day_

 

Kaylie was still on the floor when Lisa returned. Ben had stayed beside her, with one arm loosely around the girl’s shoulders, and Alex had pulled up a chair a few feet opposite. No one was speaking; the only sound in the room was Kaylie’s occasional hitching breath. Lisa sank to the floor on the teen’s other side and took one of Kaylie’s hands between her own.

“What happened?” Kaylie found herself whispering, before she’d even made a conscious decision to ask the question. Tears were still running down her face and her chest ached fiercely, but she wanted to know, needed to know. 

“It was a set-up,” Alex answered quietly. “We were lucky to get out unscathed, and we never had a chance to get to your dad. I’m so sorry, Kaylie. If there was anything I could have done to help him, I would’ve done it.

She nodded, swallowing hard. “How did he-how did it happen?”

“There was an explosion.” He must have seen her flinch, for Alex quickly added. “It was fast. He wouldn’t have felt it.”

That was one small measure of consolation, but it did nothing for the grief threatening to overtake her. Kaylie let out a sob, covering her face with her free hand as the reality she’d been dealt descended on her once again. Ben squeezed her shoulder and Lisa squeezed her hand, and Kaylie was distantly aware of being grateful for the contact, the support, from these practically-strangers. It kept her tethered and reminded her that she wasn’t alone, even as she felt completely so.

“Ben,” Alex’s voice was quiet and urgent. “We do have a bit of a situation. I know Kaylie needs you right now, but could you spare a moment so I can bring you up to speed?”

“I’ll be right back,” Ben whispered, before disappearing from Kaylie’s side. Lisa’s arms encircled her and Kaylie leaned into the other woman, half-listening to the soothing murmurs as her tears continued to fall. She wasn’t sure how many minutes had passed when she became aware of someone sitting on the floor in front of her, and she glanced up to find Ben watching her with sympathy.

“Hey,” he murmured, giving her a crooked, sad smile. Kaylie sniffed. “I really hate to do this, Kaylie, but – as Alex mentioned – we have a situation. It’s so not fair for us to ask you to do _anything_ right now, but we need to finish packing up to go.”

His words, tone and expression were the polar opposite of how Jackson had addressed her earlier, even though Kaylie was dimly aware that they were probably communicating the same message. She was again overwhelmed with gratitude for Ben, and for his tact and gentleness.

“I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t really important,” Ben added. “Can you trust me?”

Kaylie nodded, taking a deep breath and wiping at her eyes. “Yes.”

Ben smiled again, though she could still see the sadness in his expression. “Okay.” He got to his feet and held his hands out to her. “Come on.”

 

\------------ 

 

Jackson stepped into the kitchen, where Alex sat at the table carefully checking and reassembling his weaponry. It was just after eleven and they’d been back from the warehouse disaster for two hours. They’d sent Kaylie and Ben off in the latter’s car ten minutes earlier, taking only what they could inconspicuously carry. Their exit from the building had gone off without a hitch, as Jackson knew it would. Parker wasn’t watching for _them_. Lisa hadn’t spoken one word to him since she’d slapped him; Jackson’s cheek still smarted. 

He watched Alex for a moment, as the older man loaded a handgun with expert ease. “You okay?”

Alex didn’t look up from his work. “I’ll be fine.”

Jackson crossed behind Alex, pausing to squeeze the other man’s shoulder with one hand before taking a seat across from him. Alex’s eyes briefly met his, then returned to the gun in his hands. When Jackson thought about it, which wasn’t often, he was vaguely aware that he considered Alex to be almost something of a father figure. Jackson’s own father hadn’t exactly set the bar high, but he couldn’t deny that Alex had been consistently there for him since they’d met more than a decade earlier. For most of Jackson’s adult life, Alex was the only one on an otherwise nonexistent list of people he actually cared to protect. Thinking of the brown-haired, mystifying woman just down the hall and the blond teenager currently with Ben, Jackson scowled. Apparently the list was growing, and he was not at all sure he was okay with that.

“You?” Alex had apparently noticed his expression.

“Fine. Just ready for this to be over.”

Lisa appeared in the doorway then, surveying the weapons on the table. Both men turned to look at her. “I’m going to need a gun.”

Jackson’s reply was immediate. “No.”

Lisa glared at him. “I need to be able to defend myself.”

“She has a point,” Alex offered, unhelpfully.

“The last time she had a gun in my presence, she shot me,” Jackson retorted. Did they think he was insane?

“You were trying to kill me!” Lisa protested.

“So we at least know she has decent aim,” Alex smiled, earning him a glare from Jackson. “Unlike some people in the room. Give her a gun, Jackson. We need all the help we can get.”

With a scowl, Jackson swiped a handgun from the table and passed it to Lisa. She took it wordlessly, checking the clip and flicking the safety off and back on. He had no idea where or when she had acquired any gun knowledge, but shelved that question for a later conversation.

“We better get in position, “ Alex advised, getting to his feet.

“I don’t suppose you can just pick them off as they come up the stairs?” Lisa asked hopefully, watching as he carefully placed his disassembled rifle back in the duffel.

“I probably could,” he explained, tucking a gun into his waistband. “But then Parker would know what was happening and disappear before I could get him in my sights.” He grimaced. “Better to lure them in and take them out where he can’t see.”

 

\------------

 

They had been driving for maybe ten minutes when Ben unexpectedly turned the car around.

“What’re you doing?” Kaylie asked. “Aren’t we supposed to go to the airport?” She had been given the abbreviated version, as usual, which amounted to Parker likely showing up at the apartment sometime overnight and Ben driving her to a small nearby airport to keep her out of harm’s way, where the other would reconvene with them later. The only good thing about any of it was that the fear and adrenaline coursing through her had temporarily – and amazingly – sort-of-distracted her from her grief.

“Yeah.” Ben sighed. “But I don’t feel right about leaving them on their own. What if Parker has more guys with him than they thought?”

“Ben, this is Alex and Jackson we’re talking about,” Kaylie rationalized. “They’re not exactly helpless.”

“I know,” he replied. “But that doesn’t mean they couldn’t be overpowered, especially if they’re outnumbered. I’ll find somewhere nearby to leave you with the car, and I’ll just go make sure they’re okay.”

By the time he pulled off into a deserted lot three blocks from the apartment complex, Kaylie had not managed to convince him otherwise.

He reached across her to the glove compartment, and Kaylie watched wide-eyed as he withdrew a gun. “Look, I’m just going to walk back and scope it out. I’ll stay out of sight, and if they’ve got everything under control, I’ll come right back.”

“But-“

“You’ll be safe here,” Ben assured her. “And I’ll leave you the keys in case. Don’t get out of the car.”

He was gone before she could voice another protest, shutting the car door behind him. Kaylie reached across to lock it and then twisted to watch as he disappeared into the darkness.

 

\------------ 

 

Jackson stood just outside of the now empty kitchen, in the shadows out of sight of the front door. Alex was by the back entrance, and Lisa was in her room, which had no windows. Jackson had instructed her to stay in there, to one side of the door with her gun at the ready. She hadn’t argued. 

He tensed at the sound of footsteps near the door, the unmistakable sounds of a lock being picked, and the creak of the door swinging open. He had his weapon of choice, a knife, gripped in his hand, and a gun pressing against the small of his back. He had no intention of needing the latter.

He heard a scuffle at the back of the apartment, but remained focused on the task at hand. Alex could take care of himself. He listened as the front-door intruder – just one, by the footsteps – approached, waited until he had passed through the door by where Jackson was hiding, and pounced.

Jackson wasn’t the biggest guy, but he was stronger than he looked. And fast. He tackled the other man from behind, earning an elbow to the stomach for his efforts, but determinedly hanging on and swiping his knife with practiced precision across his opponent’s throat. The other man lurched against him, firing random shots that littered the hallway wall, but the damage was done. The gun fell from his hand as he collapsed in a bloody heap at Jackson’s feet, exhaling a rattling groan. Jackson glanced back and forth down the hallway. The unmistakable sound of a silencer-concealed gunshot echoed from the back of the apartment and Jackson immediately started in that direction. He had taken only a few steps when he was seized from behind, a strong arm pulling his head back and pressing against his throat. Where had _this guy_ come from!? He struggled futilely against the grip on his throat, then thrust the knife backwards and felt some satisfaction at the other man’s grunt when the blade hit home, probably in the upper leg. The relief faded fast along with his oxygen supply, as he realized his efforts had done nothing to dislodge his attacker. He elbowed the guy in the stomach as hard as he could manage, distantly noting the irony of his current predicament. At least his attacker didn’t seem to be wielding a knife.

A second muffled gunshot thunked into something close by and it took Jackson a second to realize the scream of pain was coming from the man directly behind him. The grip on his neck loosened, which was all Jackson needed to wrench his knife free, spin around, and drive it directly into his attacker’s ribs. The other man spluttered, falling to his knees as his legs gave out, and Jackson kicked him in the head for good measure. The guy went down. It was only then that Jackson processed the bullet wound in the man’s leg, and Lisa Reisert standing just a few feet beyond, her gun still trained on the man on the floor.

“Thanks,” he gasped, still trying to get his breath back.

“Sorry it took so long,” Lisa murmured. “I was worried I’d hit you by mistake.”

“And here I thought you’d relish the opportunity to shoot me again,” he quipped, his eyes then snapping to Alex who had appeared at the end of the hallway. The older man wiped a bit of blood from his mouth, but otherwise appeared unharmed.

“All good down here,” he said.

Jackson glanced down at the two dead – or maybe the second one was just unconscious – men in the hallway. “So where’s Parker?”


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Minor character death. (Again. I'm really putting these poor people through it!)

Ben had been gone twenty minutes, and Kaylie was starting to get worried. He’d said he would come back if everything was okay, so did his prolonged absence mean everything wasn’t okay? Could he have been hurt? Or one of the others? Or maybe nothing had even happened yet and he was waiting to see what did before returning. Or maybe they were all dead and no one was coming back for her and she was completely on her own. She eyed the keys in the ignition. She could just leave, just take off and drive…home, or wherever. Her dad was gone – she fought back a sob – and so hopefully no one would be coming after her now. She could just go. Or she could go after Ben and make sure he was all right. Kaylie peered desperately into the darkness. Thirty minutes, she’d give him until thirty minutes and then she HAD to do one or the other.

At exactly thirty minutes, Kaylie pocketed the keys and jumped out of the car. She wasn’t sure exactly when she’d decided what she was doing, but as she hurried back up the dark road towards the apartment building, she didn’t change her mind.

Everything was deathly quiet in the building’s parking lot. There were a number of cars, she recognized Jackson’s, but no people that she could see. She crossed the lot quickly, scanning around her for any signs of trouble. The downstairs door was propped and she silently slipped into the stairwell and then waited, straining to hear anything. Nothing. Where was Ben? Was he upstairs? Were they okay? She set a foot on the first step.

“Kaylie Hewett, I presume.”

She nearly jumped out of her skin, turning with sudden dread towards the voice behind her. A man stood several feet away. He was older than Jackson, but younger than Alex and her dad, and dressed in the casual suit that seemed to be a sort of uniform in this business. He smiled at her, but there was nothing friendly about it.

“I’m James Parker, you may have heard of me.” He smirked. “I hired Alex to carry out the assassination of Charles Keefe.”

Kaylie swallowed hard. “You killed my dad,” she whispered, not trusting her voice at a louder volume.

“Yes.” The answer was matter of fact. “It was unavoidable, I’m afraid. You see, your friends upstairs have caused quite a mess for me and I’m in the unfortunate position of having to clean it up.”

Kaylie didn’t reply. 

Parker took a step closer, still smiling. “What do you say we go join the party?”

Kaylie backed up, nearly tripping over the stairs. “Stay away from me.”

“I’m afraid I can’t do that, Kaylie.” He took another step. “I sent my guys up a short while ago, but I haven’t heard from them, which can’t be good. So you have turned up at a most convenient time.” His gaze hardened, but Kaylie’s eyes were fixed on the gun he withdrew from his jacket. “Upstairs, let’s go.”

The apartment was on the third floor and Kaylie mounted the first flight with Parker right behind her and the barrel of a gun pressed to her back. _She was going to die_. _Her father had died today and now she was going to die, too, all because she was too stupid to stay in the car_. They reached the second floor landing and started on the second flight of stairs. Kaylie was trying hard not to cry. Whatever happened, she was not going to cry. They reached the third floor. Kaylie’s eyes widened to see Ben in the partially open apartment doorway. He looked just as shocked to see her. She gave him a desperate look, trying to communicate with everything she had that he should run, get help, disappear before it was too late. It was all in vain, as – in a flash – Ben had his own gun drawn.

“Let her go,” he growled.

Parker laughed. “Are you going to try to shoot me while Miss Hewett here is in front of me? I don’t think so.”

“Let her go,” Ben repeated, with a ferocity Kaylie didn’t realize he possessed. “Let her go and take me instead.”

“I don’t even know who you are.” Parker sounded amused.

“It doesn’t matter,” Ben retorted. “If you’re looking for collateral, or a human shield, then take me instead.” 

“You’re right,” Parker began, in a tone that sent chills down Kaylie’s spine. “It doesn’t matter.” The gun against Kaylie’s back disappeared. It reappeared at her side, as Parker fired a bullet straight into Ben’s chest.

“Ben!” Kaylie shrieked, the sound muted by Parker’s hand clamping hard over her mouth. Ben toppled back into the wall, sliding to the floor just outside the apartment, his gun clattering to the floor and a bloodstain rapidly spreading across his shirt.

“Move,” Parker ordered, shoving Kaylie forward through the open doorway and shutting it behind them. No sooner had they crossed the threshold than Jackson and Lisa appeared, emerging from the hallway across the room. They both looked furious.

“Rippner.” Parker greeted coldly. “And Miss Reisert. We meet at last. I assume you’ve already taken care of my bodyguards?”

“Shouldn’t send someone else to do your dirty work, Parker,” Jackson spat.

“Well, never mind.” Parker sounded like he was smiling again. “I think I’ve just taken care of one of yours, he’s currently bleeding out all over the hallway carpet.” Kaylie barely stifled a sob. “Soon to be joined by this one, if you don’t put down your weapons.” Parker held the gun to Kaylie’s head, the barrel less than an inch from her skin. She swallowed hard.

Lisa set her gun on the counter and raised her hands. “It’s me you want, don’t hurt her.” 

Jackson, too, set his knife down. At Parker’s cough, he shoved both weapons out of reach. Kaylie noticed through her panic that both the knife and Jackson’s shirt were covered in blood. “Let her go, Parker.”

“Where’s Alex?” Parker queried. “I know he’s here somewhere.”

“Injured.” Jackson replied. Kaylie had to choke back another sob. How many people were going to get hurt?

“Well, let’s go find him,” Parker said cheerfully. “I’d rather avoid any sneak attacks. You two lead the way,” he waved the gun at Jackson and Lisa before bringing it back to Kaylie’s head. “We’ll follow.”

At Jackson’s nod, Lisa started down the hallway. Jackson followed, then Kaylie, still in Parker’s grip.

The next few minutes passed in a blur. Such a blur, in fact, that when Kaylie tried to reconstruct the events later, she couldn’t quite figure out what order they had occurred in. As they passed from the hallway into the living room beyond, Jackson suddenly spun to face them, propelling the three of them into the wall as he forced Parker’s gun upwards with one hand and grabbed Kaylie’s shirt with the other. Kaylie instinctively ducked as Jackson yanked her forwards, and the gun went off, a bullet embedding itself in the ceiling as the two men grappled for the weapon. Kaylie felt something sharp scrape her arm as Jackson shoved her out of the way. She scrambled off to the side, turning at a grunt of pain to see that Parker had pulled a knife in his free hand and had jabbed it into Jackson’s shoulder. Jackson slammed his fist into Parker’s elbow and the knife clattered to the floor. The gun fired again into the ceiling. Jackson reached for something at his back, but fumbled when Parker grabbed his injured shoulder, regrouping enough to punch the other man in the stomach.

Another shot rang out. Assuming it had again been from the gun currently being fought over, Kaylie watched in surprise as Parker suddenly dropped in Jackson’s grip. Jackson released him, the gun falling from the older man’s hand as he crumpled to the floor. A movement to her side caught Kaylie’s eye and she turned to see Alex getting to his feet from behind the couch, gun in hand. She glanced at Parker, to the bullet wound she could now see in the side of his head, and then back to Alex in astonishment. Jackson and Parker had been mere inches apart.

“That’s the second time tonight someone has saved my life,” Jackson stated, sounding as though he wasn’t sure if he ought to be grateful or miffed.

“You had it under control,” Alex chuckled. “But I thought I’d help put a more expedient end to things.”

“I was hoping you might,” Jackson admitted.

“Nice shot,” Lisa interjected, sounding about as dazed as Kaylie felt.

Alex crossed the room to stare down at Parker. “I’ve had a lot of practice.” He glanced around, his eyes briefly landing on each of them. “Was Parker telling the truth about Ben?”

Kaylie’s eyes flooded with tears. “Yes.”

Eyes darkening, Alex strode out of the room. They heard the front door open, then shut. Alex reappeared and, as all eyes settled on him, shook his head. Kaylie couldn’t stifle the sob this time. “I’m amazed we haven’t attracted attention already, but it’s only a matter of time,” Alex said. “We have to go, now. We’ll go out the back.”

“We can’t just leave Ben,” Kaylie choked out.

“We have to, Kaylie.” It was Jackson this time, who took her firmly by the shoulders and steered her towards the door. “Come on.”

 

\------------

 

They piled into Jackson’s car for the short ride to where Ben had parked earlier, collected any needed possessions, and then continued on to the airport. The airport was tiny, and the few staff nodded to Alex and didn’t ask many questions. Jackson had traded his blood-soaked dress shirt for a clean one, which – even unbuttoned and over his slightly bloodied t-shirt – hid his knife wound from view until he could get on the plane. Alex’s pilot and copilot, who asked even fewer questions than the airport staff, greeted them on the tarmac and it was only then that Lisa spoke up.

“Where are we going?”

It was Alex who replied. “To my house. In London.”

“London?!” Lisa screeched, albeit quietly. “I’m not going to London.”

“Yes, you are.” Jackson told her.

She turned to him with an expression of furious disbelief that he was fast becoming familiar with. “You promised I could go home. And in case you’ve forgotten, I haven’t exactly had great experiences with you and aircraft.”

He smirked. “Hey, I trusted you with a gun.”

She glared.

“Lisa,” Alex interjected, giving Jackson a sharp look. “Please come with us. We are all in desperate need of sleep and some time to come down from tonight’s events. I will arrange your safe return to Miami whenever you wish. You have my word.” He glanced over his shoulder to where Kaylie was leaning against the aircraft’s stairs. “Also, Kaylie could really use a friend.”

Lisa gave a heavy sigh, one that Jackson recognized as a sigh of resignation. “I don’t have my passport.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll take care of it.” Alex turned to help the youngest of their group on board the plane.

“He means it,” Jackson said to Lisa’s raised eyebrow. “There isn’t much that Alex can’t take care of.”

“Against my better judgment, I’m continuing to trust you,” Lisa told him. “Please don’t make me regret it.” And with that, she followed Alex and Kaylie up the stairs, leaving Jackson on the tarmac.

 

\------------ 

 

Kaylie sat next to Lisa on Alex’s private jet. She thought that she should maybe be impressed by that fact, but she couldn’t summon up the proper emotions. They had just leveled off in the air, en route to London, and she felt completely numb. She had heard the conversation on the tarmac, but could quite honestly care less where they were going. The nightmare that was the past few hours was going to haunt her wherever she was. Lisa was rubbing reassuring circles on her back, but she barely felt it. Jackson crouched in front of her. He was wearing a simple t-shirt; she could see the bloodstain on it from his shoulder wound and the fresh bandage peeking out from underneath the collar.

“Let me see your arm.” 

Kaylie barely processed that he was speaking to her, but didn’t resist as he pulled her left arm away from her body to examine the long cut. She’d nearly forgotten about it. Her only injury from everything that had happened today. Her only _physical_ scar.

Jackson’s hands were surprisingly gentle where they touched her skin; the sting of the antiseptic against her wound was not. She hissed and tried to pull away, but Jackson’s hand closed around her wrist and held her in place while he finished.

“Are you hurt anywhere else?” He asked, once her arm was clean and bandaged.

Kaylie stared back at him. The cleaning of her wound had brought her just a bit out of her daze. “No. Are you okay?” She nodded towards his shoulder.

“I’ll live.”

“You were covered in blood.”

A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. “Most of that wasn’t mine.”

Kaylie’s stomach flip-flopped. “Thank you,” she blurted.

Jackson raised an eyebrow.

“I think you saved my life,” she pointed out.

“You’re welcome.” Jackson glanced to Lisa, who had been silent throughout their exchange. “Leese, do you want to go get cleaned up? I can…” He trailed off, and Lisa shot him a significant look, even as she got to her feet. Kaylie was too drained to figure out what the look meant.

Lisa’s hand gently squeezed her shoulder. “I’ll be back soon.”

Jackson settled in Lisa’s vacated spot. Kaylie distantly heard Alex’s lilt – something about a car for tomorrow. She turned her head towards Jackson and found, to her surprise, that he was watching her.

“It’s my fault that Ben’s dead,” she whispered, when he said nothing.

“No, it isn’t.” Jackson retorted.

“It is,” she insisted, tears welling up again. “He went back to make sure you all were okay, and I followed him when I should’ve stayed in the car. If he hadn’t tried to rescue me from Parker-“ 

“ _Ben_ should’ve stayed in the car,” Jackson reminded her. “He should have brought you to the airport, as planned, instead of trying to play the hero. It’s his own fault. And Parker’s. Not yours. Do you hear me?” He sounded almost angry. “None of this is your fault.”

Kaylie really wanted to believe him. “Does it even bother you?” She asked then. “That someone you worked with was just killed?”

Jackson stared out the window for several seconds before speaking. “I didn’t know him that well and, in this business, you learn early on to avoid personal attachments.” He glanced at Kaylie again. “I had nothing against Ben, but I can’t say that I feel much remorse.”

“I barely knew him,” she whispered. “And now he’s gone, and so is my dad.” She buried her face in her hands at that, struggling to hold back the tears. She didn’t really want to break down in front of Jackson, given how he’d reacted to that earlier.

“I know.” They sat in silence for several minutes. “You should sleep,” he said finally.

“Can’t,” she muttered, wiping her eyes and leaning her head back against the seat. Did he seriously think she’d be able to sleep after the night she’d had?

Jackson stood and disappeared from view, returning moments later with a blanket. He fanned it out over her and Kaylie flinched as the soft material floated down to rest against her body. He retook his seat beside her.

“Try,” he continued, his tone as gentle as she’d ever heard it. “Close your eyes.”

She glanced over at him, brow furrowing.

“Close your eyes,” he repeated.

Kaylie complied. Images of her dad immediately came to the forefront of her mind and she swallowed hard, trying to keep the emotions at bay. Jackson shifted in his seat, and Kaylie stiffened as his shoulder pressed up against hers. She wasn’t exactly used to any contact with him when he wasn’t trying to intimidate her. She waited a minute, perhaps two, and he neither moved closer nor moved away. The contact, however minor and from however questionable company, was surprisingly soothing and Kaylie slowly began to relax. She briefly wondered if he was doing it deliberately, but the thought drifted from her mind.

And finally, after a long, exhausting, devastating day and night, Kaylie slept.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the second to last chapter! Thanks to anyone who has been reading for coming along on this ride. I am working on a sequel, which is going a bit slower than I'd like, but I hope to begin posting it not too long after this one concludes.

Jackson closed the door behind him with a sigh and surveyed his bedroom. He always stayed in the same room when visiting Alex, which wasn’t all that often these days. The bed was still rumpled from his earlier nap; normally a rather fastidious person, he hadn’t really seen the point of making it when he’d be using it again so soon. Or maybe that was the jet lag talking. The four of them had tumbled through the door at nearly three in the afternoon, London time, Kaylie still shell-shocked and Lisa concerned and wary. Alex was coping with grief of his own, and Jackson was simply exhausted. He had downed a few painkillers for his throbbing shoulder and collapsed into bed, only emerging to join the others for a late dinner. Now, at nearly eleven, he was ready for bed again.

He rolled his eyes at the knock on his door. Seriously, did someone need him _now_?

He was not expecting it to be Lisa.

“Uh, hi,” she offered, when he simply stared at her. “Can I come in?”

Jackson backed out of the way and watched with more than a little curiosity as she closed the door behind her.

“Kaylie’s asleep,” she told him. “Probably a good thing, she needs time to recover from everything she’s been through.”

“Please tell me you did not interrupt my own plan to sleep to give me an update on Kaylie’s well-being.” He hadn’t meant it to come out quite so harsh, but – well – he’d blame it on exhaustion.

“Sorry,” Lisa retorted, unperturbed. “I can see I’m bothering you.” She turned to go.

“Lisa.”

She paused, but didn’t turn around. “Why did you kiss me in Savannah?”

Now that he _really_ wasn’t expecting. “You’re asking me this _now_?”

Lisa turned to face him. “Call it temporary insanity, induced by life-threatening situations and jet lag.” She laughed, but he spotted the slight blush staining her cheeks.

He stared at her.

“So?”

Jackson swallowed hard. He couldn’t tell her anything other than the truth. “Because I thought I might never get another chance.”

She stared at him for a long moment, before setting her jaw and walking towards him with purpose. Jackson braced himself as she crossed the short distance, fully expecting another slap. Lisa stopped right in front of him, grabbed his shirt with both hands, and pulled him down until his lips met hers.

 

\------------

 

Like their every interaction, it was intense. Heated. At times, a little rough. He pulled her flush against him almost immediately, reveling in the feel of her body trembling against his and in the taste of her as she parted her lips. Clothing went in all directions as they stumbled onto the bed, Lisa on top, a jumble of fervent kisses and roaming hands. When he flipped them over, pinning her beneath him, her gasp was one of arousal, not fear, and the hands that tangled in his hair and raked down his back were pulling him closer, not fighting to get away. He kissed his way down her body, determined to memorize every inch of her, until she pulled him back up again to claim his lips with her own. He held her gaze while they made love, hoping she might see in his eyes what he couldn’t express in words. And after, when he lay on his back with Lisa tucked into his side, one leg hooked around his, her hair tickling his chest, Jackson wondered if maybe this was what it felt like to be content.

 

\------------ 

 

Kaylie stood at Alex’s living room window, staring out at the pretty residential street in north London. His house was impressive, as was the neighborhood, though she probably should have expected no less from someone who had his own plane.

“Kaylie.” The man in question summoned her from behind, and she turned to find him settling on the sofa, an envelope and leather bound book in his hands. She had been relieved to learn that he had left Savannah unscathed, that Jackson saying otherwise was merely a ruse to fool Parker. “I want to show you something.”

She joined him, and he passed her the book. At his nod, she opened the cover and found that it was not a book at all, but a photo album. Smiling faces peered up at her from the photo on the first page, and she spotted a much younger Alex in the center of the group of men. And right next to him...

“My dad,” she breathed.

“Those photos are from our time at MIT,” he explained. “More than twenty years ago now.” He passed her the envelope. “And these are some letters he wrote me, before he convinced me to switch to email.” He chuckled at that, and Kaylie managed a small smile.

“It’s been exactly a week,” she murmured, tracing a finger over the smiling image of her father. “Since I saw him for the last time.” She blinked back the tears that threatened to spill; she’d been doing a lot of crying the past two days. “Thursday morning, before I went to school. He said he’d be home late, they were releasing a new version and he’d have to work long hours…” She trailed off, the photograph in front of her blurring through her tears.

Alex squeezed her shoulder gently. “I’m sorry, Kaylie,” he said quietly. “I truly wish it hadn’t ended this way.”

“I know,” she whispered. She glanced up at him. “He was your friend.”

“That he was.” Alex smiled sadly. “The very best I could have hoped for.”

Kaylie brushed the tears from her cheeks and took a deep breath. She had something on her mind. “Alex, did my mom know that my dad was working for you?”

“I’m not sure,” Alex admitted after a moment. “I don’t think so, but I don’t know for certain.”

“Did you know her?”

“Your mother? Yes, we met several times. I had returned to the UK by the time things became serious between them, but we visited back and forth on a few occasions.”

“Were you still in touch with my dad?” Kaylie asked. “You said we met when I was little, had you seen him since then?”

“Yes,” Alex confirmed. “Not often, but we always kept in touch.”

“You recruited him,” she said then, reminded of another question she’d been meaning to ask. “And Ben told me that you recruited him, too, when he was in college.” Alex nodded. “Did you also recruit Jackson?”

“Yes,” Alex affirmed. “He attended university in Paris, and I was living there at the same time. We met by chance and I quickly recognized that he had many of the qualities I was looking for – he was a bit of a loner, exceptionally bright… and morally flexible.”

“He went to college in Paris?” Kaylie echoed, remembering what Jackson had told her about moving around as a kid and his father in the military. “Does he have family?”

Alex smiled, shaking his head. “You’ll have to ask him that.”

“So he’s worked for you since then?” Kaylie wondered.

“After a fashion. Jackson technically works for himself, but I contract with him for particular jobs. We work together fairly often, as we generally get on well and he has a skill-set that is highly valuable in most of the work I take on.”

“How did you-“ Kaylie hesitated. “I mean, do you mind if I ask how you got involved in all of…this?” She waved her hand, trying to encompass everything she knew about Alex and Jackson’s work in one gesture.

Alex shook his head. “No, I don’t mind. I don’t blame you for being curious.” He paused. “I don’t know how much you know about Ireland, but I came of age during a very difficult period in the 60s and 70s. I was exposed to a lot of violence, got involved in a lot of violence.” He sighed. “It was then that I first began thinking about this sort of business.” He glanced up then, as Lisa had appeared in the doorway. Alex stood, smiling down at Kaylie and nodding at the album in her lap. “I’ll give you some time to look through that.”

Kaylie watched him depart with a smile and nod to Lisa, and then the older woman spoke.

“Mind if I join you?”

Kaylie shook her head. “Not at all.”

Lisa settled beside her on the couch, glancing curiously at the items in Kaylie’s hold.

“Alex was showing me some photos of he and my dad. And letters.” Kaylie lifted the open album, showing Lisa the picture on the first page. “See? That’s my dad, there.” She touched his image lightly with her finger.

“Wow.” Lisa leaned closer for a better look. “And there’s Alex. They look so young.”

“It was a long time ago,” Kaylie murmured, turning the page. “Oh, look at this.” A picture of what she assumed was the MIT campus graced the top of the page and, just below, Kaylie pointed to a photo of her father, Alex and a third man of similar age. They were clearly laughing at something and each holding a beer.

“Well, at least we know they had some fun while in grad school,” Lisa quipped.

“Yeah.” Kaylie smiled, then squeezed her eyes shut as tears rushed forth again. “Jeez.”

Lisa’s arm settled around her shoulders. “I know.”

“I just-“ Kaylie started, stopped. Tried again. “I just wish he didn’t have to be gone.” She sniffed hard, a tear trailing down her cheek. “I wish I’d gotten to say goodbye.”

Lisa’s other arm encircled her, pulling her in for a hug. “You told me something, in Savannah,” she said, after a long moment. “You said that your dad wouldn’t want me to risk myself on his account. And you were right.” Kaylie peered up at her, blinking back tears. “He knew it was a trap, for Jackson and I. The only thing – the ONLY thing – he wanted to know was if you were safe, and then he tipped us off. He gave his life so we could get out.”

Kaylie swallowed hard, a few more tears spilling over. She nodded. Took a deep breath. “He wouldn’t have wanted anyone else to get hurt.”

Her gaze drifted back down to the items in her lap. With Lisa’s arm still around her shoulders, she lifted the envelope and pulled out the letters, opening them carefully and skimming her father’s familiar handwriting. The date of one, short letter caught her eye. March 1989.

_Dear Alex,_

_She’s here. All perfect 7 lbs and 21 inches of her. Sorry, those metrics might not mean much to you – ha! – but I’m too exhausted to convert them. We’ve named her Kaylie. Caroline is doing great and we’re both over the moon. I can’t wait for you to meet our little girl. Hope you are well, my friend._

_Best,_

_Peter_

Kaylie stared at the letter until it blurred in front of her. This time, she couldn’t hold back the tears.

 

\------------

 

Kaylie was on her way back from an early morning bathroom trip when Jackson’s bedroom door opened and Lisa stepped out. Kaylie’s eyes widened, even more so when she realized that Lisa was wearing Jackson’s t-shirt. Lisa noticed her then, her cheeks going pink in the dim hall lighting.

“Oh! Kaylie, hi.”

“Hi.” Kaylie was sure she was also blushing. “I was just coming back from the bathroom.”

“I’m just going to get some water,” Lisa smiled, stepping past her in the hallway. “I’ll see you in the morning?”

Nodding, Kaylie hurried back to the warmth of her bed, trying not to think too hard about what _that_ was all about.

 

\------------ 

 

Lisa collapsed on top of Jackson with a sigh of pleasure, her sweaty skin sticking to his.

“Amazing,” she mumbled into his neck.

He grinned at the ceiling. “Mm hmm,” he concurred, before tipping her chin up to capture her lips with his own.

“Why’d we never do this before?” She mumbled sleepily when they broke for air, the words resonating against his lips.

“Hm, I dunno,” he replied with a smirk. “Maybe because we were too busy trying to kill each other?”

He expected a snarky retort about how _he_ was the one trying to kill _her,_ but instead Lisa giggled. She actually _giggled_. “Pity.”

“Go to sleep, Lisa,” he ordered, biting back a laugh. “You’re half asleep already. Either that, or you’re drunk.”

“I am not drunk!” She protested, punching him lightly in the shoulder – fortunately the uninjured one - with surprisingly accurate aim. It was true; he knew she wasn’t. They’d shared a bottle of wine with Alex over dinner, but only the one and that had been hours ago.

Jackson laughed, encircling her with his arms and relishing in the feel of her relaxing against him.

Lisa huffed a quiet sigh against his skin. “Jackson...”

“Mm?”

“Is that your real name?”

“Do you usually have sex with someone before asking their name?” He teased, and she lifted her head long enough to scowl at him. “Yes, Jackson is my real name.”

“Isn’t that risky? Using your real name for…jobs?”

“Not if you’re good.”

Lisa lifted her head again and arched one eyebrow. “Are you good?”

He winked. “Very.”

Lisa rolled her eyes with a laugh, readjusting herself so that her arms were folded on his chest and her chin propped on them. “So what happened with me then?”

He brushed a curl back from her face, letting his fingers drift over her cheek. “A lot of things.”

“Such as?”

“Lisa…” Jackson closed his eyes. They were starting down a road he wasn’t sure he was ready to be on.

“I think I have a right to ask,” she said quietly. “You tried to kill me.” Now _there_ was the serious remark he’d been expecting earlier.

He opened his eyes. “Yes.”

“When you showed up on Saturday, I thought that was it.” She gave a dry laugh. “That you were finally ‘finishing the job’.”

Jackson winced. “Would it help if I said I was sorry?”

She frowned a bit, but she didn’t look angry. Or distrusting. Or apologetic. “Are you?”

“Yes.” He surprised himself with how quickly the answer came. “God, yes. I won’t apologize for forcing you to change Keefe’s room – I was doing my job – but I _am_ sorry for hurting you.” He held her gaze. “I won’t ever hurt you again.”

Lisa nodded. Smiled. “I think I actually believe you.”

She shifted until her head was resting against his shoulder and closed her eyes. Jackson ran his fingers through the ends of her hair. “Are you okay?”

“Yes. Yes, I think I am.“ He thought she’d fallen asleep, and nearly startled when she spoke again. “You’re going to have to look out for Kaylie.”

Jackson rolled his eyes. Just what he wanted to be talking about when he had a gorgeous woman in his bed. “She’ll be fine.”

“She just lost her father!” Lisa sounded indignant.

“Alex will look after her,” Jackson reminded her, knowing it to be true.

“She needs you both,” Lisa mumbled. “She trusts you, for some insane reason.”

“She trusts you, too.”

“Yeah.” Lisa was quiet for a long moment. “But I’m going to eventually need to go home.”

Jackson froze. They were living in a fantasy world, he knew, the two of them holed up in a lavish bedroom in London, avoiding the pressures of real life. He knew it, but that didn’t mean he wanted to deal with it.

“Eventually could be a long time…” he tried.

“Jackson.” She sounded serious.

“I know, Leese.” He sighed. “But let’s not think about it now.” He kissed the top of her head. “Just sleep.”

As she drifted off to sleep in his arms, Jackson wondered how long it would last.


	11. Chapter 11

Not long, as it turned out.

Jackson woke for the third consecutive morning with Lisa in his arms. She stirred moments later, smiling sleepily up at him and he leaned down to press his lips to hers. She kissed him back passionately, but pulled back a few moments later with a serious expression.

“We need to talk.”

 _Fuck_. “Lisa-“

“Jackson.” She held up a hand to forestall his protest. “You put me off the other night, and last night you so successfully distracted me that I never even brought it up.” She arched an eyebrow and he couldn’t help but smirk. “But now we _need_ to talk.” She sighed. “I have to go back to Miami.”

“Do you?”

“ _Yes_.” She gave him a sharp look. “If I’d like to keep my job. It’s already been a week. They think I have a family emergency, but that’s only going to hold for so long. And then there’s my dad, he’s worried-“

“He knows you’re okay.” They had negotiated Lisa’s phone calls to work and her father the day after he’d _collected_ her from her apartment. He had agreed; it was easier than having either party report her missing.

“He’s still worried.” Lisa frowned. “I don’t just have to go back, Jackson, I _want_ to go back. I have a life there. And you have a life, too. We can’t exactly stay here forever.”

“Wasn’t planning on it.”

“I live in Miami, you live- I don’t even know where you live!”

“New York. When I’m home,” he amended.

Lisa ploughed on. “I manage a hotel, you do whatever it is that you do-“

“You know what I do.”

“Yes, and I’m trying not to think too hard about it,” she snapped. She exhaled heavily. “Jackson, what are we even doing?”

“You could come with me.” He hadn’t planned to say it, but there it was.

Her eyes widened. “Come with you? So I’m just supposed to quit my job, leave my dad, my friends, is that it?”

“You wouldn’t need to work.” She glared at him incredulously and he shrugged. It was true.

They were both sitting upright by this point and she flopped backwards on the bed, covering her eyes with her hands. “Two weeks ago, I thought you were dead. One week ago, I was pretty sure I was about to _be_ dead, at your hands. We’ve been doing whatever this is for three days and it sounds like you’re about five seconds away from proposing marriage.” Well, _that_ was one thing he hadn’t thought about. She uncovered her eyes and peered up at him warily. “What do you want?”

“You.”

Lisa sat up. “As more than just a fun distraction?”

Well, damn, if that didn’t hurt a little bit. He pushed the feeling down. “Yes, obviously. Is that all it is to you?” Okay, maybe he was getting a little snippy.

“No.” Lisa shook her head. “No, of course not. But Jackson, this is so much more complicated than that.”

“It doesn’t have to be.”

“That’s easy for you to say,” she retorted. “I’d be the one uprooting my entire life. I’d be the one that would somehow have to make my peace with what you do for a living. Would you even consider moving to Miami?”

Jackson didn’t have an answer to that. Not one she’d like, anyway.

“Yeah.” Lisa set her jaw. “I have to go home. No matter what is or is not happening between us, I can’t just not go home.” She met his eyes. “I’m going tomorrow. I already talked to Alex, he’s arranging my flight.”

Jackson gritted his teeth. “Well then, why are we even having this conversation?” He threw back the covers and got up, getting dressed with lightening speed. “If you’ve already decided.”

“Jackson.” Lisa was on her feet now too, pulling a t-shirt – _his_ t-shirt – over her head. “Don’t be like that.”

“Don’t be like what?” He snapped, turning to face her. “What do you want me to Be. Like?” He was forcing the words out through clenched teeth. “I want to be With. You.”

“But only if it can be on your terms,” she cried, throwing her arms up as she crossed the room, stopping just a foot away. “You’re not prepared to give up anything for me. Tell me the truth, Jackson, would you quit, if I asked you to?”

He fixed his gaze on a spot of wall over her shoulder and clenched his jaw. “No.”

Lisa was quiet for a long moment. “That’s what I thought.” She stepped around him and went to the door. He didn’t move. “I’m sorry.”

Jackson wanted to tell her. He wanted to, but he couldn’t seem to form the words. And even if he could have, he honestly didn’t believe it would have made any difference. She opened the door and she was gone.

 

\------------

 

Kaylie was alone in the kitchen, finishing an afternoon cup of tea, when Lisa came in.

“Hi,” she smiled at the older woman. “There’s water for tea, probably still hot.”

“Thanks,” Lisa murmured, before setting about making herself a cup.

“Everything okay?”

“What?” Lisa looked momentarily startled. “Oh yeah, fine.” Tea in hand, she settled across from Kaylie at the table. She looked tired. “Kaylie, I’m sorry about the other night. I realize that must have been awkward.”

“No, it’s fine,” Kaylie replied, hoping she wasn’t blushing. “You don’t have to apologize.”

Lisa nodded. “I wanted to tell you that I’m headed back to Miami tomorrow.”

“You are?” Kaylie looked up in surprise. “I didn’t realize you were leaving so soon.”

“It wasn’t exactly planned,” the older woman admitted. “But I need to go see my family, and I have my job to think about…”

“Yeah, that makes sense,” Kaylie agreed. “But what about…” She trailed off, uncertain how to voice what was on her mind.

“Jackson?” Lisa queried softly, and Kaylie nodded. “I don’t know, Kaylie. We – well, you saw me come out of his room, I may as well be frank – we’ve spent a couple of nights together… but, I don’t know, he’s not willing to give up his work and I’m not willing to give up my life… I honestly don’t really see how it would ever last between us.”

“Oh.” Kaylie chewed her lip. “I guess I didn’t realize it was so complicated…” She offered a sympathetic smile. “I’m sorry?”

“Thanks, sweetheart.” Lisa reached forward to squeeze Kaylie’s hand. “You have to take care of yourself, okay? And don’t let these guys give you any trouble. And I’m going to leave you with my number. If you’re ever in Miami, or anywhere stateside really, give me a call and we could meet up.”

“I’d like that,” Kaylie replied, offering Lisa a genuine smile.

Lisa smiled back “Me too.”

 

\------------

 

It was the next morning, and Alex and Kaylie had just stepped back inside after seeing Lisa safely out to the car that would take her to the airport. Jackson was nowhere to be found; in fact, Kaylie realized that she hadn’t seen him at all that morning or the previous day. She was about to voice this to Alex, but he spoke first.

“Come sit down, Kaylie, there’s something I’d like to discuss with you.”

Kaylie sat at the kitchen table, while Alex busied himself making tea. This man drank a lot of tea, she’d realized, and she was in serious danger of picking up the habit.

“I wondered if you might like to stay here. I mean, permanently.”

Kaylie blinked at him.

“If you would prefer to return to the States and stay with friends there, then – by all means – I’m happy to arrange it.” Alex retrieved a container of milk from the fridge. “But if you’d like to stay here instead, you’d be very welcome. I can arrange to have your things shipped over and you could finish out secondary school here, either in a local school or through an online course.”

“You’d-“ Kaylie took a breath and tried again. “You’d want me to stay here?”

Alex took the seat opposite hers. “Very much so.” He smiled. “I cared for your father greatly, Kaylie, and I care for you as well, although we are only just getting to know one another. If there is anything at all that I can do for you, I’m happy to do it.” The kettle whistled, and he rose to fetch their drinks.

Kaylie didn’t speak until he had set a mug in front of her and returned to his seat. “I do miss home,” she admitted. “But I think it would be really hard to go back there, at least right now. And I don’t really have anyone to stay with. Some friends, yes, but no other family.” She met Alex’s eyes. “If I was to stay, I can contribute financially, or at least once I figure out how to get money from my dad’s accounts.”

“Kaylie,” Alex said firmly. “I will gladly assist in settling your father’s affairs and ensuring that you inherit everything he had, but you are not paying me a penny.” She opened her mouth to object, but he cut her off. “You are my best friend’s daughter and it is the absolute least I can do. You will not pay me to stay here, and I will also take care of your school. University, too, as I assume you plan to go.”

“Wait, Alex,“ Kaylie spluttered. “Okay, this is incredibly kind and generous of you, and I’m so grateful. But you don’t need to pay for my education, I’ll have money from my dad-“

“Which you can put in the bank and save for when you need it,” Alex finished. “Kaylie, you may have noticed that I’m not exactly hurting for money. And I really don’t have anyone to spend it on. Please let me do this for you.”

“You’re really serious,” she realized.

“Absolutely.”

Kaylie swallowed. “Can I take a little time to think about it?”

Alex smiled gently. “Of course, take all the time you need.”

“And – if I agree – I’m not just going to let you pay for my education and everything. I know you don’t mind-“ she quickly added, as he started to open his mouth. “But I just don’t want to ever feel like I’m taking advantage, so I need to be able to contribute _something_.”

“Well, you could always work for me,” Alex suggested, his eyes twinkling.

“Are you trying to recruit me?” Kaylie raised an eyebrow.

“Not until you’ve finished school,” he retorted with a wink. “And you’re too good-hearted for much of the work I do, Kaylie,” he added honestly. “But there are many parts of the business that don’t require knowledge of the… less pleasant details.”

“Like what?” Kaylie was genuinely curious.

“Logistics, for one.”

“That’s what Ben did, right?” Thinking about the young man she’d barely known still made her chest ache.

“That was his primary focus for the moment, yes.” Alex frowned. “That sort of role doesn’t usually get quite so violent.”

Not for the first time, Kaylie wondered if Alex blamed himself for Ben’s death. “He spoke really highly of you,” she said. “And of the business. He was really excited to learn it.”

Alex smiled. “He was bright and enthusiastic and very capable. Not unlike you.” He eyed her carefully for a moment. “If I ever could manage to persuade you to work for me, you’d do alright, kid.”

 

\------------ 

 

Later that afternoon, Kaylie finally found Jackson standing at the large window in Alex’s sitting room, looking out over the quiet street.

“Hey,” she offered, coming up to stand beside him.

“Hey.”

“Lisa left.”

“Yes, I know.”

“Are you okay?” Jackson turned his head to stare at her, his expression unreadable. Kaylie met his penetrating gaze evenly, trying not to blush. “I mean, I know you guys were… involved? – so I just…”

“Did she tell you that?” He asked, his voice giving nothing away.

“Yes. Well, sort of. I also ran into her coming out of your room the other night.”

Jackson turned back to face the window.

“So I just thought you might be… bothered… by her leaving…?”

“I’m fine.”

“Is that a ‘I’m-actually-fine’” or a ‘I’m-pretending-to-have-no-emotions-but-I-actually-do-fine’?”

Jackson turned to face her fully, fixing her with a glare that might have once left her quaking in her boots. Now, after all they’d been through, she no longer had reason to be afraid of him. Well, most of the time anyway. He stared at her for a long moment, then abruptly turned back to the window, the tiniest hint of amusement evident in his expression.

“I hear Alex made you an offer,” he said, just as she turned to go.

“Yeah.” Kaylie turned back, somehow not surprised that Jackson already knew about it.

“Are you going to take it?”

“I’m not sure yet. I want to think about it.” She glanced up at him. “Can I trust him?”

“Yes.”

“Can I trust you?”

Jackson’s eyes met hers. “Yes.”

“Why did you bring me to Miami with you?” The question had been floating around in her mind over the past few days.

Jackson looked rather incredulous. “Do you _remember_ the guy at your house?”

Kaylie did. It felt like so long ago. “Well, yeah. But that only happened after you’d shown up- did you know he’d be there?”

“I suspected.”

“That’s not really what I meant, anyway,” Kaylie continued. “What I meant is, why did you care what happened to me?”

“You’re important to Alex. And we certainly didn’t need Parker to have any more leverage.”

“And you couldn’t have just told me that?”

Jackson actually laughed. “Would you have believed it? You didn’t know about any of this.”

Kaylie supposed he had a point. “Well, how was I supposed to trust you? You’d already kidnapped me once-“

He rolled his eyes. “You are never going to let that go, are you?”

Kaylie peered out the window. “Alex told me that he met you in Paris, when you were in college.”

Jackson raised an eyebrow. “And?”

“Why did you decide to work with him?”

Jackson’s gaze slid back to the street outside. “He made me a good offer. I liked him, respected him. The work was interesting.”

“What work is that, exactly?” Kaylie queried.

“Manipulating people. Through a variety of means and for a variety of purposes.”

“So Alex basically hires you to force people to do things? That make it easier for him to carry out…whatever he’s doing?”

Jackson smirked. “Any idiot can force someone to do something. Alex hires me to be discreet, to make someone do what we need in a way that doesn’t tip anyone off and puts those of us involved beyond suspicion. Sometimes without them even realizing I’m doing it.”

Kaylie thought about that. “How many times have you manipulated me in the past week and a half?”

Jackson winked at her.

She rolled her eyes and started to walk away.

“Kaylie.” She glanced over her shoulder. “Say yes to Alex.”

She stared at Jackson for a long moment, then nodded and left him to his thoughts.

 

\------------

 

Kaylie sat in bed, Alex’s photo album open on her crossed legs. Her bedside lamp cast a soft glow around the room, and the clock next to it read just after 11 PM. She flipped through the album’s pages, smiling past the lump in her throat at the many photos of her father and Alex. Studying their smiling faces, she wondered at what point Alex had first shared with her father the truth about his business. Was it even a business then? Or was he only just getting started, setting it up, working out the details. She could only imagine how her father would’ve reacted, but – then again – they had clearly remained friends. And her father had even, perhaps begrudgingly, agreed to help.

What would her father think of her staying with Alex? Would he want her to? Or would he rather she went back to DC and tried to pick up her life where she’d left off? Kaylie honestly wasn’t sure if that was possible. Her father had trusted Alex, that much was clear. So he’d likely trust his old friend to look after Kaylie. Right?

Jackson thought it was a good idea, though why she was giving his opinion any consideration, Kaylie wasn’t quite sure. If nothing else, though, she believed she could trust Jackson to tell her the truth.

Kaylie peered at a photo of her father, smiling up at her from a sunny courtyard. She recalled Lisa’s words, that her father’s very last concern was that she – his only daughter – was safe. He had apparently trusted their assurances and he hadn’t been wrong to do so. She _was_ safe here and somewhere, somehow, she liked to believe that her father knew that.

Kaylie closed the album and set it on the floor beside her bed, before clicking off the lamp. She settled down against her pillow, staring up into the darkness.

“I love you, dad.” She whispered.

Kaylie didn’t really know what the next days and weeks would bring, but she thought that a real change maybe didn’t sound so bad.

After everything she’d been through, she was ready.

She was ready.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Never fear, Jackson/Lisa shippers, this is not really the end! There is more to come for Jackson, Lisa and Kaylie, if only I could get the sequel finished. Like with this one, I don't want to begin posting it until it's basically finished, so that will probably not be until after the first of the year. A few tidbits I can give you about the sequel: The title is Things We Lost in the Fire, it's set approximately five years after Death and Taxes, and - while it will mostly follow the same structure of shifting perspective between Kaylie and Jackson - the plot is a bit more focused on Jackson and Lisa.
> 
> Finally, I leave you with one random thing:  
>   
> My pen name is from the song "Movement in the Dark", by the fantastic Bright Light Bright Light. I wasn't thinking of this fic when I chose it, but I recently realized that the lyrics really remind me of Jackson and Lisa and ended up listening to it a fair bit while working on this.
> 
> "Oh fate  
> Is playing such a wicked game when it comes to us  
> There’s hate  
> Even in an angel’s face  
> No room for love  
> So we run  
> Let the morning chase our heels  
> If it can find us  
> It’s dawn  
> And heaven knows what that might bring  
> What might await  
> There’s new life  
> Change from left to right
> 
> It’s moving  
> This horizon that we knew  
> It’s moving  
> Something in the dark pushing through  
> It’s moving  
> Something uncontrollable that brings me close to you  
> It’s moving  
> Thought I’d never feel it but I do  
> Thought I’d never feel it but I do"  
>   
> -Movement in the Dark
> 
> Thanks to anyone who has come along for this ride, it's been fun to finally post this story after starting it so long ago.


	12. A/N: Sequel!!

The sequel to Death and Taxes is finally posted!! It's called Things We Lost in the Fire and can be accessed at the following link: http://archiveofourown.org/works/10354371/chapters/22877712

Thanks everyone for the support!


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